Do I really have to wear my retainer this long?!

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That seems pretty standard... I got my braces off at 15 too and my orthodontist said I should keep wearing them till I am 21. My dentist actually said to war them forever but I don't think I'll be doing that :P Apparently your mouth matures at around 21, which means your teeth don't shift around as easily. That's why you need to get braces when you're young - your gums are more 'pliable' and your teeth can move around. The retainer is just there to make sure your teeth don't go back to their original position. You might need to keep them on the full length of time, or maybe the orthodontist will take them off early - it really depends on how fast your mouth matures, and the extent to which the braces have moved your teeth. Hope that helps!

I wear retainers.

Fixed, as in you can not take it out?!!!! Ask your orthodontist about a removable retainer. That is what I had and you can take it out to eat. Usually you need to wear your retainer all of the time for a few months. Then you only have to wear it at night. Wearing it until you are twenty is normal. Although even after that there is still a possibility of them shifting back to the way they wore. So it is a good idea to wear it the rest of your life. (only at night)

I had braces for five years.