Braces in Los Angeles

Orthodontists in Los Angeles California

i should start off by specifying that i dont have money for any orthodontics. my insurance is bare minimum and i simply dont have the money for short term braces or invisalign.
when i wa 15 i got my braces off. i wore my retainer until my doctor told me i didnt need to anymore about a year later.
its been five years now, and i have small spaces in the top of the front of my smile. they really arent bad at all,
my retainer still fits, just with a gap between my teeth and the plastic, but i can get it on. im wondering if i wear it how it would take me to get back to normal.?
i know that its different for everyone and without seeing no one can be sure, but there are relatively small spaces and im simply asking for an educated guess.
im also asking if anyone advises me not to do this seeing as its been about 4 years since i had it in last? theres a decent amount of space between my top and botom teeth. my bottom retainer still fits perfectly with no gaps.
thanks guys!

I am aware that I will need a retainer after braces, but I do not want to have permanent ones. What determines if a person will wear a permanent retainer?
Thank you!

i know you’re supposed to wear them as much as you can, but what is the minimum? online i’ve read around 20-22 hours is the minimum?

does that mean you are nearing the end of your orthodontic treatment. Is this one of the last things they do?

For instance if one goes out with friends to a club/bar – do you really have to take the aligners out before you drink and then brush thereafter? If one drink throughs a straw – surely your teeth and aligners don’t get affected or?

Im only going to wear em at night for 3-4 days during a trip. I want to avoid the chance of losing them and the hassle of taking them out to eat and brushing after. Will it affect my treatment if i only wear them at night for a couple of days?

I have an oral fixation basically. I always have gum in my mouth. I know you cant chew gum. Could I have hard candy in my mouth or somthing. I know your not supposed, but what if I brushed often?

I haven’t wore my retainer in a while, and my teeth have obviously shifted due to it. Is it possible to get a retainer made to fit them now, or will I have to go back to braces?

I know we’re able to drink water without having to remove the aligners and brush before putting them back in, but what about with milk? Is there a reason I should be concerned with milk being pressed up against my teeth for hours on end?

Just wondering. I’m planning to get this procedure after my braces, but it might be more convinient to during my treatment if possible.