Going to the dentist's and I'm gonna get...

I went back to the dentist today as today is the day I had my retainers fitted.

I was expecting plastic plates - one to line my hard palate and the other to fit under my tongue - with wires to hook onto my teeth in some way. I was expecting this mainly because during my first attempt to straighten my teeth (some thirty-odd years ago) that's what I had.

My, how things have changed. The start of the process (last week) was the same as thirty-odd years ago. Soft, squashy, suffocating plastic was smeared over a form and the form was pushed over my teeth where it was held in place by the dentist until the soft plastic had set, thus creating a mould (and leaving an weird but not totally unpleasant taste in my mouth along with several pieces of leftover plastic). However, from there onwards everything was different.

From the mould was made the retainers. Hard but not scratchy. Clear rather than opaque. Encasing rather than hooking. Yes my new retainers are incredible. They actually fit completely over my teeth. You know when you go to a furniture store and all the sofas are wrapped in plastic - that's my teeth.

The retainers are very discreet - nobody notices them unless I point them out (although I haven't kissed anyone while wearing them - then they would be noticed I think), I can wear them for everything except swimming and hot drinks, and they click out for cleaning when I do my teeth. Eating with them is a little unusual as I feel I can't chew my food properly but I had salad tonight and it wasn't a problem.

On top of all that, they may well help with my teeth grinding habit.