#3 | Losing & replacing your retainers

Despite its unglamorous outlook (my sis calls it gross even), it has been my most intimate buddy for the past five years. Many lost and found incidents, but sadly not this time :(

My poor retainers has been certified missing. Mobilizing all the manpower I could and questioning all possible suspects at home, the search proved futile.

Instead of spiraling deeper into sorrow, I quickly made an appt at National Dental Centre (NDC) for fear that my teeth will lose its shape far too quickly. The customer service officer on the line was able to provide a rough cost estimation (albeit after much transfers & waiting time) and scheduled an appt for me the next morning.

Going back to NDC was my first thought since it was where I did my braces eight years ago, when I was 18, at a subsidized rate after a waitlist of more than three years. I would say it was well worth all the wait since my total braces treatment was below $3000 (sgd), a good bargain at that time. This cost also included my set of retainers that had gone missing.

However, returning to NDC this time round didn't seem to be the best move, despite them having all my records I later realized.

There was NO way I could get back a new set of the original retainer made in 2012 when I was discharged, as they do not keep the mould samples at all. This also means that you'll probably have to end up with a new set of retainers that are based on your already not-so-straight teeth by now. That's devastating news for me given all the pain I had previously endured.

What made things worth was I am now considered a private patient despite going back to them, hence I am now being charged the full unsubsidized rate. As such this folly and carelessness caused me a total damage of $400.71 (sgd), not including all the time wasted on travelling there and back.

Here's the NDC breakdown excluding gst:

Consultation - $85
One set of retainers - $180 X 2
Sterile equipment fee - $9.50

Of course, I'm hoping (*fingers crossed*) that this will be the last time I'm losing my retainers, but I think it's quite possible for wear and tear to happen in the years to come? But next time I think I will make a wiser choice by going to a private clinic since a new mould has to be taken each time before a new set of retainers may be replaced.

I guess that's the price of beauty?