retainer hurts

[thedudeman]

i know a girl whos retainer hurts. teeth aching cuz its trying to readjust the teeth, how long does it take to stop hurting?

[Kaleidoscope Eyes]

She needs to wear it all the time except when she's eating. (If it's one of the clear plastic ones that cover the teeth entirely, she should probably also take it out when drinking anything other than water.) If she's not wearing it regularly, it's going to be harder because the teeth won't want to stay put as well.

I had the same problem with my retainers, and I actually stopped wearing them. If they're the clear plastic kind I mentioned above... those are the kind I had and my teeth would often be achey after I'd take them out. It never fully went away for me. If it just doesn't get better with regular use after a few weeks or so, I'd reccomend seeing her dentist or orthodontist to see if maybe there's an adjustment that needs to be made.

Also, the retainer shouldn't be adjusting the teeth at all, it should fit more-or-less perfectly. It just keeps them in place so they don't move back after the braces have come off. Moving the teeth around with braces for so long makes them a little looser in the bone/in your gums, and the retainer keeps them in place while they get used to their new positions. Also, the bone is softer during childhood and solidifies more as you reach adulthood, it probably has something to do with teeth falling out and moving in. That's why you don't see as many adults with braces, it's much harder to move the teeth around at that point, and why most kids don't have to wear their retainers much past 18 or so.