Objective: To compare the level of satisfaction in the use of wraparound Hawley and thermoplastic maxillary retainers. Materials and Methods: The study sample included 70 orthodontic patients (24 males and 46 females), who were in the retention stage (mean age = 20.80 years). All patients wore the two types of maxillary retainer for 1 month each, along with a 3×3 fixed mandibular retainer. After the use of each retainer, the patients responded to a questionnaire evaluating the level of satisfaction with their use of the maxillary retainer. Intergroup comparison was performed by independent t tests. Chi-square test was used to evaluate preference for the type of retainer by gender. Results: The thermoplastic retainer was better for swallowing and the wraparound Hawley appliance was better for hygiene and durability. The other factors evaluated (adaptation, speech, comfort, esthetics, satisfaction, and fitting) did not show significant differences between the retainers. There was also no significant difference in preference for the appliances. Conclusions: Regarding the overall satisfaction and the preference, there was no difference between the wraparound Hawley and thermoplastic retainers. The wraparound Hawley appliance was better in hygiene and resistance than the thermoplastic retainer; and the thermoplastic appliance was better than the wraparound Hawley for swallowing fluids and saliva.

Turkish Journal of Orthodontics (Turk J Orthod) is an international, scientific, open access periodical published in accordance with independent, unbiased, and double-blinded peer-review principles. The journal is the official publication of Turkish Orthodontic Society and it is published quarterly on March, June, September and December. Turkish Journal of Orthodontics publishes clinical and experimental studies on on all aspects of orthodontics including craniofacial development and growth, reviews on current topics, case reports, editorial comments and letters to the editor that are prepared in accordance with the ethical guidelines. The journal's publication language is English and the Editorial Board encourages submissions from international authors.