Clear Retainer for Top Teeth and Cleaning Routine for Fixed Retainers

I had just a quick visit to my orthodontist today to make sure that my top clear retainer fitted, the one on the pink box. It just needed a little trimming as it was hard to get off and on but then it was fine.
They provided me with the Retainer Brite to use 2 to 3 times a week, and I've put together a little kit to show you what I use to keep my lovely straight teeth and their hidden fixed retainers clean.
Firstly my Oral-B toothbrush. I've been using this brand since my dentist used to sell them to me for 2/6 (12½p)!
Secondly Oral-B toothpaste. I like this new one which really polishes my teeth clean.
Thirdly TePe Interdental brushes. These have been so useful to clean around my Incognito and Inspire Ice braces and now I use the finest pink one to clean in between the teeth with fixed braces.
I have another check-up in about six weeks when some photographs will be taken, and that's it. I think that I only have to go back once a year to make sure that everything is ok.   

Incognito Brace Off Today!! Fixed Retainer Fitted. Impressions taken for Clear Retainer.

At last my Incognito brace was taken off today! I was quite nervous because of the large gold brackets behind my teeth. How were they ever going to come off painlessly? Well, it wasn't so bad. My orthodontist polished away some of the metal which curved over my back teeth, and then with a special tool eased each one off. It was actually less painful than removing the  Inspire Ice last year, apart from the left front tooth which really hurt. He had to come back to that one at the end and the nurse put a kindly hand on my shoulder. I really needed it! The whole process took as long as Nina Simone took to sing about her new dawn, her new day and her new life, which was rather apt for me too!

  Afterwards, he polished my teeth to remove all the glue and prepared them for the fixed wire retainer that would go behind my front teeth to keep them in place. Then he carefully attached it making sure that my teeth were lined up correctly. And it was done! However, before I left, he made impressions of my top teeth and bottom teeth for the clear retainers which I will pick up next week. I've had one on the bottom for a year now and there's no problem wearing it every night, so I expect that I need a new one. It will be a bit funny having one on the top as well, a bit like false teeth!

This is the photo, taken in November 2009 on a trip to New York. I was shocked how dreadful my teeth looked, and it made me decide to have my teeth straightened.

This is what they looked like after the bottom Inspire Ice brace was fitted, showing my top teeth in all their glory, and look how wiggly the bottom wire was!

Here is the Incognito brace after it was fitted. My teeth were really higgledy-piggledy. 

Here are my top teeth today with the fixed wire retainer in a lovely even curve. Fabulous!

So here I am, with my dream smile at last!

I'll let you know how I get on with my retainers next week, and I also have to go for a check up in 6 weeks' time to make sure my fixed metal retainer is doing its job.

I'm having my Incognito Brace off next week!

Hooray! I'm having my Incognito brace off next week, a year after my Inspire Ice from my bottom teeth.
At my visit today, my orthodontist said that he was pleased with the way my right canine had moved into match the left. He also cleaned out the tiny gap between my left front tooth and the next one which he will ease together with the wire retainer.
Of course, I do know what it feels like to have a brace removed - a sharp little pain as it comes off each tooth and lots of polishing off of the glue, but I'm ready for it now. The appointment is for an hour and I'm going to take some Ibuprofen! I'll let you know how I get on!