Hawley retainers are designed to keep your teeth in a specific position. The retainer is designed from a dense plastic body that fits in the top of your gums or along the tongue inside of the lower teeth. The retainer has wires and clasps attached to the plastic, which is responsible for keeping the teeth as they are.
The clasps hold the selected teeth in their position or help force them back into the starting position. The wires the go across the front teeth keep the alignment so the teeth don’t move forward or backward.
Advantages
- Extremely adjustable. So as you age your orthodontist will be able to change the retainer to help your teeth into a better position to fully fit your face. This also means it can help guide your teeth back into their original position if they move away from it.
- More resistant to damage. Because they are constructed with a dense plastic and metal they are less likely to be damaged or lose shape, which allows them to last longer than other retainers.
- Can be taken out when desired and worn to sleep which results in the retainer interfering less often with your daily routine.
Disadvantages
- Extremely visible, the wires across the front make it almost as visible as traditional braces.
- Can make it harder to speak. The thick plastic body (for the upper teeth) can make it more difficult to speak. Your orthodontist or even dentist might be able to minimize the size of the plastic by trimming some of the plastic off.
- Can be taken out. Because of this feature individuals might choose not to wear the retainer, which can lead to the teeth moving out of place.
- Easy to lose, often individuals put the retainer in a napkin and forget about it. This results in the retainer being thrown out or lost easily.
Cost
The average Hawley retainer can range from $300-600 dollars. Many factors play a role in the cost of the retainer. Thing from the fee for creating the retainer, material cost and region.