I got a hawley retainer in my 30s

I wasn’t actually given a choice of color. She said they only provide these types of appliances in clear color. I’m ok with that as it’s bit more discrete.

I have to wear them 24/7 except when playing contact sports, eating and swimming. I mentioned a few meetings I would find it hard to wear them and she was ok with that. She said drinking was fine but I didn’t ask about tea and coffee, thank for the heads up on that.

She said it was likely I would need a turn on the screws but would need to be gradual and probably only one or two and then the labial bows will be used to straighten everything.

Your retainer sounds very similar to what I have but I think you are right that having the screws definitely makes it thicker. 



 
Actually not as good as I thought it would be. It was way worse than I expected when I first got them but I did think I’d get used to speaking with them better than I have. I have got used to having them in my mouth but Still have a big lisp. I’m getting braver wearing them out in public so hopefully with more practice my speech will get better. I have to go back on Tuesday as the occlusal isn’t moulded very well to my bottom teeth so only my back left tooth touches which keeps my jaw open more than it should which might be why it’s still hard to speak, will see if they can fix it
 
Had my appointment today. But disappointed as I thought they would redo the top brace But she just shaved some of the back part of the occlusal off and it does sit a bit better but not perfect. That’s it now, will go back in 9 months and get all the occlusal shaved off and then can keep wearing the top brace as a retainer at night.
 
So will you not have any supervision during minor straightening of your incisors? I didn't during the brief period my retainer was resolving relapse. for most of the time, I have been wearing it solely for retention and am now down to part time wear..

Did your ortho turn or ask you to turn your expansion screws?

Do you mind if I ask you how much you have paid this ortho?

All the best with your modified retainer. I hope your speech is improving.
 
To fix the two crooked teeth I’ll need a few turns still, but they will be like quarter turns. Then small tweaks to the labial bows. She won’t be doing anything more with the occlusal part. I was hoping that she would make the brace again but instead just shaved it a bit and now that it sits better she said that will do. I’m still not happy with it but I’m not the ortho so will listen to her.
 
2 months in and all going ok. Fairly used to them now but it’s still quite embarrassing! Talking much better. Had my 2nd adjustment, slow progress but progress being made. Still not quite used to the concept of having removable braces but I’m definitely more comfortable than I was. 2nd adjustment was to activate the appliance and adjustment to the labial wire. Was slightly tender after but not too bad.

To answer @embracer they cost about £400 each brace so £800 in total.
 
Happy new year everyone. I never though 2022 Would be the year I got a brace but 2023 I’ll have the complete smile, wishing you all a prosperous 2023 and straight smiles :)
I have another appointment in Jan for the ortho to make some more adjustments. Still a while to go wearing the brace but I’m really used to having it in now. I won’t agree with people who say you barely notice you are wearing them after a while because you definitely do notice them, but it is much less noticeable.
 
@retainer101 Glad you took the jump and looking forward to seeing your progress throughout 2023!
 
How did you choose removable over fixed braces ? I am wearing braces myself but I preferred fixed as I can't cheat and also easier to handle I think
 
Rkg said:
How did you choose removable over fixed braces ? I am wearing braces myself but I preferred fixed as I can't cheat and also easier to handle I think
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definitely easier to handle in that you don’t have an option. It was the appliance my ortho suggested would work best. The occlusal coverage is the important part that she can adjust to align my molars. I generally take her advice right or wrong.
 
Embracer said:
Have you activated the screws yet?
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my ortho does it rather than me as she I’m only doing 1/4 turns and not many of them so she is controlling it. It’s hard to expand the jaw at my age so this is only creating a small bit of space so the labial now can be adjusted to make the minor changes needed on my front teeth, the real bit is addressing my molars which the occlusal coverage is doing
 
Retainer101 said:
definitely easier to handle in that you don’t have an option. It was the appliance my ortho suggested would work best. The occlusal coverage is the important part that she can adjust to align my molars. I generally take her advice right or wrong.
Click to expand...

I see and how do you feel about it wearing it non stop ?
 
Rkg said:
I see and how do you feel about it wearing it non stop ?
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At first I was so scared and wasn’t too happy at all but if you throw yourself in and get passed the first week or two then it does become slightly easier and while still very embarrassing it is amazing how much you grow in confidence with it in. Eating with them is still tricky and so having to wear them full time for that is pretty annoying! Sometimes I can’t manage so just take them out.
 
When i got mine, quite a few years ago now, (through choice, not for treatment), I decided to wear them full time from the minute I got them, just for the experience.
At first, eating was very strange as I could feel nothing in the roof of my mouth due to the coverage of the large top plate. Each time I ate anything, I was very conscious of the appliance, but that was exactly why I wanted to get them.
It was quite a few weeks before, one day I realised that I had eaten a full meal and had completely forgotten that I was wearing the retainer. Again, somehow that was what I had been looking forwards to...ie,  it was now part of me.
 
retained said:
When i got mine, quite a few years ago now, (through choice, not for treatment), I decided to wear them full time from the minute I got them, just for the experience.
At first, eating was very strange as I could feel nothing in the roof of my mouth due to the coverage of the large top plate. Each time I ate anything, I was very conscious of the appliance, but that was exactly why I wanted to get them.
It was quite a few weeks before, one day I realised that I had eaten a full meal and had completely forgotten that I was wearing the retainer. Again, somehow that was what I had been looking forwards to...ie,  it was now part of me.
Click to expand...
What type is of brace did you have? I’m still not used to eating with mine! Think it’s because of the occlusal coverage as it means I can’t chew molar to molar, I’m chewing acrylic to molar so it makes it harder and feels unnatural! Not a fan. For softer foods it’s ok but for main meaty meals it’s nearly impossible!
 
I have a few !
The most extreme is the activator (my avatar pic), but of course I dont wear that full time. (Cant eat with that but can drink).

The ones I wore continuously for some years were Hawley style. The the first one was extra thick and deep, front to back but then I got one with a thick bite plate which comes to the lower level of my front teeth so all biting and 'chewing' is with my bottom front teeth to the plastic bite plate. It is also slightly longer and very tight.
My molars dont touch. Interesting but fine and almost forgettable once you get used to it.
Same with speech. Speaking with it now is virtually normal and it actually helps with clarity of 's' sounds but its very difficult to speak clearly for some time if I take it out.
 
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