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New retainer giving me so much pain. Please advise if this is normal ?

AngelCatMei

AngelCatMei

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 8, 2017
Messages
114
Location
Singapore
So yesterday I got my previous lower clear retainer replaced during my 6 months routine checkup with a new dentist (I got my clear retainer and braces somewhere else).

The material for retainer that will help me with my grinding as per the dentist. The retainer is hard to put it in, it require a certain angle and slowly press it in from one side to another. The dentist is aware of it, she mentioned that it's fine as long as the retainer managed to fit it in.

However, this morning I woke up with the most extreme pain that I ever felt with retainer. Never did I even felt this kind of pain when I first got my clear retainer after debrace. My whole lower teeth hurt, even brushing or touching it hurt. It hurts even more when I tried to take off the new retainer. I have high pain tolerance, went through two root canal, one deep filling without local anaesthetic, two wisdom tooth surgery and extracting three tooth at once for braces, but this pain is on another level.

This new lower retainer is the same material as my upper retainer that I did with this current clinic as well, but by their owner who is also a dentist, it was fine, it fit in properly and easily too. It fit nicely, it's tight but it's a nice tight. If you know what I mean.

I sent a message to the dental clinic and they will see me on next Tuesday.

I'm just really curious what is going on. Did it go wrong during impression? Or did it go wrong at the lab?

I compared my previous clear retainer and currently-pain-af retainer, it seems like my previous clear retainer seems wider and my current-pain-af retainer seems shorter in length (the alignment doesn't seem to match).

Any of you experience this kinda of pain with a new retainer?

My instinct saying that this isn't normal and that I should stop wearing my new retainer and go back to my old retainer for now till I'm seen by my dentist.

I did came across this kinda of issues while working at a dental clinic but it is indeed scary when it happen to myself.

P.S I do wear retainer daily. Never did I skip a day without it therefore it's impossible that my teeth shifted that much. Someday even during day time, I wear it too.
 
Hi there,

I never had a retainer, but got a night guard for grinding two years ago, and the first couple of nights were pure horror. My teeth were hurting badly in the morning and as you experienced, I couldn't even touch them slightly. It was super scary and felt like I was doing my teeth a damage, but it subsided gradually. Reading about your experience I was wondering whether this is simply a process of getting used to a new mouth guard / retainer.

All the best wishes
 
Hi there,

I never had a retainer, but got a night guard for grinding two years ago, and the first couple of nights were pure horror. My teeth were hurting badly in the morning and as you experienced, I couldn't even touch them slightly. It was super scary and felt like I was doing my teeth a damage, but it subsided gradually. Reading about your experience I was wondering whether this is simply a process of getting used to a new mouth guard / retainer.

All the best wishes

Not too sure too as my previously retainer that I'm currently wearing it now while I'm typing is not painful and it fit tightly yet perfectly against my teeth since I got off from braces one and a half years ago. :(
 
Sounds like the new one needs some adjustment. Go back to your old one till Tuesday.
 
Sounds like the new one needs some adjustment. Go back to your old one till Tuesday.

Thank you Gordon! I'm just really afraid that the dentist will brush me off since she knew that the new retainer is hard to fit in but yet she mentioned that it's just require me to slowly put it in arch by arch at a certain angle.

I feel bad to educate her if I know what is right what is wrong since she's the professional while I'm not.
 
You're the one in pain, she's not :) Anything made in a lab can need some slight adjustment, it's a fact of life in dentistry. Usually partial dentures need the most adjustment when you're running late already and you've got a big date lined up for after work (ah, that takes me back!).
 
You're the one in pain, she's not :) Anything made in a lab can need some slight adjustment, it's a fact of life in dentistry. Usually partial dentures need the most adjustment when you're running late already and you've got a big date lined up for after work (ah, that takes me back!).

Hi! I went back to the general dentist who did my new retainer for me as per your advise. She took a new impression and sent it back to the lab. The 2nd new retainer came back in end of January, it's much better now even tho it still makes my my lower front teeth sore after a night of retainer.

Was worried so I booked an appointment with an orthodontist instead. The orthodontist said that the retainer seems to fit well in her opinion, just one gum pressure and the right side, she helped me to file it down. She said it might be that the new retainer is a thicker material and that my old retainer is loose.

So now I'm just trying to get use to my new retainer ✌️ hopefully the pain will stop soon.

Thank you for all the replies!
 
Thank you for updating us, it's nice to hear how these things pan out. Hopefully you're making progress now.
 
Thank you for updating us, it's nice to hear how these things pan out. Hopefully you're making progress now.

Thank you for your concern! ?
 
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