TikTok creator @kalis.genevieve shared a video detailing her experience after getting her braces removed. The video received more than 262,000 views and over 200 comments. In it, she discussed wearing retainers after braces and some of the changes she experienced after her braces came off.
Kalis began by saying that while orthodontists generally explain what patients can expect after their braces are removed, there are some things people may not realize until they experience them.
@kalis.genevieve The things they don’t tell you!! It’s all fun and games till you miss a day not wearing your retainers ?? #kalis #trinidad #bracesoff
♬ original sound - Kalis Genevieve
She said one of the first things that happens after braces are removed is that patients are given retainers.
Kalis went on to explain that, in her experience, wearing the retainers immediately after having her braces removed was important because she was concerned about her teeth shifting.
She also said that while people may eventually be able to wear their retainers only at night, she was instructed to wear hers every day after having her braces removed. According to Kalis, not wearing her retainers consistently could make them more difficult to put back in if her teeth shifted.
Woman shares her experience with wearing retainers
Kalis said another part of wearing retainers that people had not warned her about was the amount of saliva she experienced. She described constantly needing to swallow because of the amount of saliva in her mouth while wearing her retainers.
She also said wearing retainers on both her top and bottom teeth affected the way she spoke.
Kalis described having a lisp while wearing them and said it became noticeable enough that she sometimes removed her bottom retainer when speaking with someone so she could be understood more clearly.
Finally, Kalis said she does not miss having braces, despite what she had previously been told. “I do not miss it one day. I am glad it is off. The minute those braces came off, it felt like taking off a tight bra,” she said. She added that she was willing to continue wearing her retainers for as long as necessary to avoid needing braces again.
Reactions to the video came mainly from people who agreed with her warnings. Many even confessed that their teeth shifted after removing their braces because they stopped wearing the retainers. One commenter wrote, "Yeah boi...after paying 35,000 by Professional orthodontist my teeth shifted back..because I didn't wear my retainers as prescribed."
Another commenter echoed this comment and wrote, "I missed mine but I stopped wearing my retainers like two months and my teeth shifted now trying to catch up."
A separate commenter agreed to having a lisp with their retainer, but assured that it would go away after some time. They wrote, "The lisp thing will go after some time. I got my bracers off in 2020 and I speak absolutely normal with my retainers now. But when I just got them… boy! Everyone was laughing at how I was talking."
The Daily Dot was unable to independently verify the experiences described by @kalis.genevieve and the commenters, which are based on their personal accounts of wearing braces and retainers.
