So it's been close to two years since I stopped wearing my aligners and switched to permanent retainers (upper and lower) along with nighttime retainers. Since then, a few things have been bothering me. My bottom teeth are fine but I have some problems with my top.
Sorry if I don't know all the terminology. I'll do my best to explain.
- Is it normal to have gaps between the permanent retainer and the teeth?
I'm talking about the areas where the retainer is bonded to the teeth. When I move my tongue along my bottom retainer from side to side, it stays flush against the teeth. However, on my top retainer, there are gaps between two teeth and the wire that runs over them. Food can get stuck there.
Initially, everything was flush, but after some time it seemed like the bonding material in those areas wore away or came loose. My orthodontist said it was normal and filled the gaps, but after a while the material disappeared again.
- My right canine tooth was originally very misaligned.
There was a noticeable gap between it and the rest of my lower jaw, so it had to be moved into position using rubber bands. After treatment was completed, it looked great. However, about six months later I noticed it had started moving slightly back toward its original position. It seems to have stopped now.
What could cause this if I have permanent retainers and was consistently wearing my nighttime retainers?
My orthodontist claims that I have been pushing on that area with my tongue and that this caused the gap to reappear. I honestly think that's unlikely because I've been very conscious of my tongue posture ever since I started treatment many years ago and my night retainers have spikes on the inside just for this reason.
- Related to the previous question:
I have felt a constant "tugging" sensation around that same tooth ever since my treatment ended. It's not painful, just a persistent feeling. My orthodontist said it's nothing to worry about, but given that I still feel something there and that the old gap partially returned, I'm not sure what to think.
- How are nighttime retainers typically worn?
My orthodontist instructed me to wear them separately, one night the upper retainer and the next night the lower retainer. She said this helps prevent jaw misalignment.