hax
arahani
- Joined
- Jan 1, 2025
- Posts
- 199
- Reputation
- 238
backstory:
I was born with decent teeth but sucked my thumb as a kid, which messed up my palate. My teeth became so subhuman that I spent 4 years with braces. I didn’t get a palate expander, but my teeth straightened. The treatment stopped because my back molars weren’t growing, and they suggested I check if they'd grow once the braces were off. Unfortunately, the braces left my palate average size, and now my molars are pushing outwards . I wanted to either get a palate expander or fix my molars but both meant braces again and I didn't want to go through the process again, so I accepted the slightly spread-out molars and average palate for a lifetime (although i might rethink if it hurts). After braces, I could either wear retainers forever or get metal behind my front and back teeth to gradually reduce their use. I chose the metal option.
why not use retainers from personal experience:
Retainers were fine for the first part until i stopped using them for a while and i put the back on with so much pain. For some reason thought it was because my palate became narrow and i started to try to expand my palate naturally (before thumbpulling was popularized and busted) but that only made things worse. I couldn't even close my mouth, my teeth kept grinding because there was no retainers for my mandible. Later on i discovered that the pain was from the outside of my gums, suggesting that my palate had grown. I then decided to completely remove the retainers and my teeth have been perfectly fine (i try to wear it at least once every 2 weeks but i wake up in discomfort).
I would suggest EVERYONE to get braces then wait until their palate is fully developed to ask for a reprint of their retainers and only then wear it.
I was born with decent teeth but sucked my thumb as a kid, which messed up my palate. My teeth became so subhuman that I spent 4 years with braces. I didn’t get a palate expander, but my teeth straightened. The treatment stopped because my back molars weren’t growing, and they suggested I check if they'd grow once the braces were off. Unfortunately, the braces left my palate average size, and now my molars are pushing outwards . I wanted to either get a palate expander or fix my molars but both meant braces again and I didn't want to go through the process again, so I accepted the slightly spread-out molars and average palate for a lifetime (although i might rethink if it hurts). After braces, I could either wear retainers forever or get metal behind my front and back teeth to gradually reduce their use. I chose the metal option.
why not use retainers from personal experience:
Retainers were fine for the first part until i stopped using them for a while and i put the back on with so much pain. For some reason thought it was because my palate became narrow and i started to try to expand my palate naturally (before thumbpulling was popularized and busted) but that only made things worse. I couldn't even close my mouth, my teeth kept grinding because there was no retainers for my mandible. Later on i discovered that the pain was from the outside of my gums, suggesting that my palate had grown. I then decided to completely remove the retainers and my teeth have been perfectly fine (i try to wear it at least once every 2 weeks but i wake up in discomfort).
I would suggest EVERYONE to get braces then wait until their palate is fully developed to ask for a reprint of their retainers and only then wear it.
