Retainer at Bootcamp?

[M Ali]

I have a removable clear retainer on bottom and top teeth. I can wear it day and night, but MANDATORY at night. I don't want my teeth to get jacked up. Even three months without will severely damage my teeth. Can't get a permanent retainer, since it would take to long for it to be made. Anyone else have a retainer at boot, what happened? Thank you.

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[Tennessee Top]

You can have your retainer during bootcamp. Your SDI will decide if it stays in all the time or only at night (mouthguards must be used for certain training events like pugil sticks, MCMAP, etc).

But, check with your recruiter to see if you can take it with you. If you take it to bootcamp, you run the risk of it being thrown away during receiving. You may want to wait and have your parents mail it to you as soon as they get your mailing address.

Good luck.

[M Ali]

Thank you for your reply Master Sergeant.

I talked to my recruiter and she said during receiving, it may be put away in a warehouse for the duration, but ultimately it would be at the discretion of my drill instructor. She said if he allows it, he may hold onto it and I have to ask him for it every night before lights out which may become tedious and annoying to the DI real quick. An RA that came from Boot said there is a hygiene bag and if it is allowed it can be stored there in it's case and I can put it in after lights out.

Again, really the DI's call. Maybe I'll get one who used to have braces and understand me...

[Tennessee Top]

Yes. Any number of things could happen to it at receiving. That's why taking it with you is a gamble (you may never see it again).

True. Everything that happens with the platoon is ultimately the Senior Drill Instructor's (SDI) call. I have heard of recruits being allowed to keep their retainer. All you can do is ask after you get there and hope for the best.

[M Ali]

Boom! Finished boot camp almost a month ago and almost forgot to post an update here. I went to MCRD SD and retainers ARE allowed throughout out training Companies.

- Clear Visiline retainers, such as the ones I have are allowed, as are metal retainers are allowed.

- Many recruits had different retainers in my platoon alone. During receiving when the contents were emptied into the red item boxes, the receiving drill instructors open the retainer case and upon inspection of the retainer put it back in the case and move to the next item or next recruit.

- In my case the day I shipped out, I was worried they would throw it out and left my retainer with my recruiter back at the station. When I hit my platoon and saw that retainers were allowed, I asked my Senior Drill Instructor if I could go to dental and speak with the Orthodontist about having a retainer made, my SDI was more than helpful and scheduled me to go later that week(week 2 of boot by the way). When I got there the Orthodontist said I would have to wait a while to get an appointment because they have to take a mold of my teeth to make the retainer. (This didn't end up happening until week 12 of boot camp.)

- (Week 2) This worried me so I wrote my recruiter and asked if she could send me my retainer because I left it at the RSS with her. Once she got my letter, her and another recruiter from my station came to the Depot in person to give me my retainer and say hi to me and some other recruits from my station. Im a San Diego local by the way, so it wasn't more than a 20 minute drive for her, still none the less, coolest recruiter ever, she was always there for me beyond just bringing me the retainer at boot.

All in all, I know I was stressing pre-bootcamp about my retainer and just didnt want anyone else to be unsure like me.

- ​Ali

[Cpl Keller]

Congrats on graduating boot camp! Glad the issue with the retainer was really a non-issue.
Semper Fi!