<p>lol the first time I saw it I was "Whaa?..." and had to google it.</p>
<p>PROBLEM, I can't find my invisible, clear top retainer...lol</p>
<p>I had braces from 6th grade to beginning of 9th grade which was last year. I got my upper ones off but still have my lower ones. Luckily, my orthodontist had "fixed" my retainers to the back of my upper teeth so I didn't have to worry about taking them off and what not. Same thing will happen when I get my lower ones off this September.</p>
<p>I had braces for about two years. </p>
<p>Even worse than the rubber bands were those stupid things that looked like the regular bands they put on, but were like a chain. UGH.</p>
<p>I have a bonded retainer on my bottom teeth, and I have a regular retainer on the top that I still wear at night 2 years after having my braces removed. I could not get a bonded retainer on the top because of the way my teeth are...it would have worn down my bottom teeth.</p>
<p>are retainers that bad? pretty much the biggest pains of braces are the pre-braces work (for those lucky people who never needed it, you've been spared a LOT of time and PAIN), the first time you get them, and retainers? that's probably because it's the most annoying LOL i had to do headgear before braces, it was a living hell</p>
<p>I had braces for about 26 months or so. They're not bad and you eventually get used to them. The first week of having them on is hell though because you can barely eat anything solid and sometimes it hurts after they've tightened your braces. Otherwise, once you are braces free, it feels great!</p>
<p>I don't think braces are too bad, because you eventually get used to them and have to come to the realization that, unlike a retainer, you can't take them off. Upon getting them off and receiving a retainer, it's far too tempting not to wear it.</p>
<p>How come people don't start using Invisalign now? It's those invisible retainers that you can take off whenever you eat.</p>
<p>I had braces for two years when I was 14 and 15. I got temporomandibular joint disorder, so they had to screw with my bite to make it not get worse, so I'm getting them again this year.</p>
<p>I have never had braces...yay, perfect teeth!</p>
<p>Braces for 2 years, along with painful sores from the metal all 2 years. I had to get braces b/c my teeth were too misaligned. Not getting braces would mean a higher risk of tooth decay because the way my teeth grew, it would be hard to brush/ floss some parts.</p>
<p>After I got off, I had to wear the plastic retainers 24/7. About 6 months later, my dentist gave me the OK to wear it only at night. </p>
<p>BIG RELIEF. Now I can munch of junk food all day without worrying about stuff getting stuck in it/ taking out my retainers and misplacing it.</p>
<p>i just had my orthodontist put in a permant retainer for 200...teeth cant move now and i can't take it out lol</p>
<p>I never got them. I really really need them, but I don't have any insurance, and even if I did it wouldn't be able to cover the cost of braces so it wouldn't matter.</p>
<p>
[quote]
How come people don't start using Invisalign now? It's those invisible retainers that you can take off whenever you eat.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Not only is Invisalign not available everywhere, but a lot of orthodontists don't like/trust it. I know mine always said that conventional braces work better. And, for that matter, faster, because they're always on. They're really not that bad once you get used to them. The rubber bands and the spacers were the worst part for me. And I'm still finding the stupid rubber bands in my room now, 2 years after getting my braces off.</p>
<p>^Invisalign = retainers, not braces. I'm using those now after the metal braces.</p>
<p>I currently wear the ceramic braces, where you can only see the wire. I have been wearing them for about 3 months so far, and will most likely have to wear them for 2+ years, then wear retainers a year 24/7, then only wear the retainers at night. What I hate was the pre-braces work, such as having my 4 and a half teeth removed (the half was a remaining baby teeth that was stuck between two teeth). I also hate the chains when they put it on, but after the first two days, you get used to it.</p>
<p>I have braces, because my teeth were very overcrowded and very crooked. Also, I needed them for medical reasons, which I don't know exactly what they were, but I do know that our orthodontist was able to write a letter to our dental insurance and get them to pay for almost half of my braces.</p>
<p>The reason why I can't wear Invisalign is because my teeth are so bad that Invisalign won't be able to fix it. For example, I have one teeth, above my other tooth, that only chains from braces will be able to pull down.</p>
<p>Rubber bands are the worst. They hurt my teeth so much and I couldn't even talk right. I had to wear them 24/7 , but I never did. My orthodontist found out and gave me a lesson on why to wear rubber bands and the US banking system (this supposed to relate to rubber bands, but I didn't understand why). </p>
<p>When you guys wear rubber bands, did those rubber bands come in a bag with an animal on it? What animal did you have? I had Rams and Leopards. One of my friends had the flamingoes.</p>
<p>I had braces for six months in the fourth grade, the doc took them off, saying my teeth were straight. About a month later, I get two more teeth growing in and that throws everything off.</p>
<p>Got them again in January of grade 8, now I'm heading into my sophmore year, and they come off on September 2. </p>
<p>Braces aren't too awful, getting them tightened is a pain in the rear, though, and the first week or so is hell since you can't eat anything too hot, cold, or solid.</p>
<p>Juggler, my rubber bands have impalas on the bag.</p>
<p>I hate braces. They're really hard on my gums.</p>
<p>I had braces...twice! once in 3rd grade for about 2 years because they didnt want to let it get any worse then once again in 7th grade for another 2 years...now i only have to wear reutainers at night :)</p>