Retention Protocols and Factors Affecting Retainer Choice among Iraqi Orthodontists

Table 3

Removable retainers (%).

	Gender		Work sector			Practice (years)			Total
	M	F	Private	MOH	College	<5	5–10	>10
Q11) Number of checkups after placing a removable retainer
1	10	1	7	7	6	12	7	3	7
2	13	7	12	3	12	20	5	9	11
3	21	12	19	10	12	32	18	9	17
More than 3	42	33	42	31	12	20	45	43	38
On breakage or damage of the retainer	14	46	20	48	59	16	24	36	27
Q12) Initial wearing times of the removable retainer
Full-time	83	71	85	59	47	90	89	65	78
After school, evening, and night	9	21	8	41	18	4	7	23	14
Evening and night	4	6	4	0	24	6	2	7	5
Nighttime only	3	2	3	0	12	0	2	5	3
Q13) How long do you usually recommend the removable retainer full-time wear?
<3 months	13	5	12	0	6	16	7	8	10
3–6months	57	33	52	34	29	40	67	39	47
7 months-one year	22	59	30	59	65	34	22	48	37
>1 year	8	4	7	7	0	10	4	5	6
Q14) Usually when do you stop retention with removable retainers?
<2 years after debonding	63	40	61	28	35	68	73	35	54
>2 years after debonding	27	35	29	45	18	22	15	45	30
After 3rd molars have erupted or extracted	1	12	3	21	6	2	2	10	6
Wear retainers forever	9	12	7	7	41	8	11	11	10

M, male; F, females; MOH = Ministry of Health.