The Merits of Spare Retainers 

Thanks for the comment MGB. There are merits and demerits to Hawleys and Essix retainers. Hawleys do last longer on average but for many issues (most often rotations) the evidence shows that they do not keep the incisor teeth as straight as Essix retainers as they do not maintain contact with the teeth in the same circumferential fashion as Essix retainers (Even with acrylated labial bows). For sole expansion cases however, Hawleys are often superior as the acrylic plate has more transverse strength. I will make a video at some point discussing the differences and when to choose each one.

@@bracebook1965 thank you for educating me and giving the professional input! But technically wouldn't the optimal choice be a clear retainer during the day and Hawley at night, so you get the best of both? And once the clear ones break your teeth would probably mostly settle and you'd need to wear them only nightly anyways, so you're left with the sturdy Hawleys... Is my logic flawed?

@@mynameisannabelle Great question MGB! The advice I give here does not over-ride any advice given to you by your own Specialist Orthodontist as each case is different, but in general I recommend Essix (clear) retainers to be worn every night initially, with a gradual step-down to 2-3 nights per week long-term (I supervise the step down based on result stability). If these are well cared for and the patient does not grind or clench the teeth, these can easily last upwards of 5-7 years. I only ask patients to wear their retainers at night as I want them enjoying their smile in the daytime, and evidence shows us that night-time wear in most cases is sufficient to keep the teeth straight. In my opinion, the evidence does not support the use of Hawley retainers for routine cases, especially those containing rotations as they really struggle to maintain rotational purchase on the teeth, but they do seem to last longer. For this reason I tend to limit my Hawley retainer use to expansion cases, cases with stubborn spaces that can be closed by activating the labial bow at the front, cases where patients have missing front teeth which can be added to the retainer and a few others. I have a video for patients who find their clear retainers keep breaking: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-0fIYLgwq-I4.html I also have a video for those who want to reduce their risk of relapse even further by getting fixed retainers: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-1JWhFDgKnVU.html&t I hope that helps and thanks for the enquiries!