So I just got upper and lower retainers that are made of metal and acrylic so I'm told and they're called Hawley retainers. I've had them for about a month now. I had the Essix retainer for my upper teeth and the permanent retainer for my lower previously. The lower retainer came out before that and I lost it so my teeth shifted a little. The cheaper route to go was getting upper and lower retainers at the dentist vs. orthodontist. My Essix retainer was worn out and they said it wasn't as durable as the other two types of retainers. It was chewed through a little from the back teeth. Anyway. The first few weeks of trying these new retainers was a bit painful and weird. Now I've adjusted to them better, but I feel like my teeth are shrinking because of the plaque build up over night. I feel like plaque is building up more than ever with these retainers vs. my plastic upper one. My permanent lower was a pain to floss, but it was fine. Didn't leave any residue. The metal touches my teeth and when I take them out in the morning, there's a film of plaque on the metal bar and on my teeth. I really don't know if that's normal or not. Is this something that the dentist did wrong? Because my enamel and gums seem to be effected by it ever since I got these retainers. I've also had a history with minor Gingivitis, but it wasn't bad.

Residue in your mouth has nothing to do with you dentist. How could it be. Gingivitis is caused from not keeping your mouth clean enough and allowing food residue to settle between and around your teeth for too long. You need to be more diligent in your cleaning.