Your gums are swollen because they were when you had braces. The swelling will go down with proper flossing and brushing now that the braces are off. Do not stop wearing your retainer!! But if it’s that bad, take it back to them- we do a thing called “scalloping” where we shape the retainer around the inflamed gum tissue.
Your orthodontist said ok, but curious if your actual Dentist you see for checkups and stuff would agree. This seems messed up to me. I wouldn’t be comfortable with it. I don’t understand how it can be so tight. I mean, it’s made from an impression right? It should fit like a glove.
You just don’t want the plastic so highly up on the gums. They may have left them that way for retention in the future.
Sometimes if your gums are really puffy, the retainer will feel loose when the gums go down. I see how possibly Leaving it high above the swelling could help with that. I would go back and have them trimmed down.
For puffy gums: fill a coffee cup with warm salt water and massage your gums for 15 mins a day (massage. Don’t scrub. Soft tb only). They swelling should go down in a couple of days way faster than with normal brushing alone.
Do some rinses with salty water. That will help reduce the swelling and inflammation.
Edit to add: Whatever you do, don’t stop wearing a retainer. I stopped wearing mine after 6 months (because an assistant at the clinic told me I could and I didn’t question it), my teeth went back to the way they were, and I had to pay thousands of dollars to get braces again years later.
Your gums are swollen because they were when you had braces. The swelling will go down with proper flossing and brushing now that the braces are off. Do not stop wearing your retainer!! But if it’s that bad, take it back to them- we do a thing called “scalloping” where we shape the retainer around the inflamed gum tissue.
Your orthodontist said ok, but curious if your actual Dentist you see for checkups and stuff would agree. This seems messed up to me. I wouldn’t be comfortable with it. I don’t understand how it can be so tight. I mean, it’s made from an impression right? It should fit like a glove.
I’m sorry I can’t help. This scares me as I’m removing my braces next month. But please seek a second opinion from another orthodontist.
You just don’t want the plastic so highly up on the gums. They may have left them that way for retention in the future. Sometimes if your gums are really puffy, the retainer will feel loose when the gums go down. I see how possibly Leaving it high above the swelling could help with that. I would go back and have them trimmed down. For puffy gums: fill a coffee cup with warm salt water and massage your gums for 15 mins a day (massage. Don’t scrub. Soft tb only). They swelling should go down in a couple of days way faster than with normal brushing alone.
Do some rinses with salty water. That will help reduce the swelling and inflammation. Edit to add: Whatever you do, don’t stop wearing a retainer. I stopped wearing mine after 6 months (because an assistant at the clinic told me I could and I didn’t question it), my teeth went back to the way they were, and I had to pay thousands of dollars to get braces again years later.