I never had braces BUT let me warn you...wear that retainer! I'm serious. I knew a guy who had the
worst teeth ever...we're talking crooked as could be. Imagine my shock when I learned that he had had braces when he was younger! He showed me all these pictures from when he was an undergrad, and lo and behold, his teeth weren't that bad then. He never wore his retainer, so I guess they just went back to the way they were before. So I'm telling you...listen to your orthodontist!
By the way, my sister just got her braces off a while ago and she's heard this lecture from me many, many times before.