I need some advice from some post-braces wearers

[~boogiepop~]

So I had braces from 7th grade until I was a freshman in High School. I had pretty terrible teeth and had to have surgery or I would have lost my front four teeth.
I wore my plastic retainer for the whole time I was suppose to after I got off my retainer and then got my clear retainer that just attaches to my top teeth. I wore it constantly for 3 months or so and then stopped and went to wearing it once a week or so. To make a long story short, I lost that retainer and didn't wear it forever, then went back to my plastic one and my friend stepped on it, and then found my clear one and now it hurts so bad when I try to wear it.
My teeth aren't super terrible, I've got a small gap between two of my teeth and that's it, but my Mom swears to god that my teeth are going to splay out everywhere. I know I should be talking to my orthodontist, but I really don't have the time to go see him until my Winter Break. I just wanted some experiences from anyone who had these problems so I can maybe predict what might happen.
So here are my questions...

• Should I deal with the pain in my retainer? I'm not sure if it will correct my teeth or not, and part of the back does not fit on my molars (It just hangs there). I read on the internet if you try to force you teeth with the retainer it will damage your tooth roots which isn't cool. Just curious if anyone had experience with this.
• If any of you were stupid like me and didn't wear your retainer for awhile and went back to the dentist, were small flaws made in that time able to be corrected with a new retainer? Or did you have to get braces again?
• How long did it take your teeth to stop shifting after your braces? I found it dumb that it's been 4 years now and my teeth are apparently still moving. I hope it's just my mom being crazy.
  
• Also kids, wear your god damn retainer and don't be stupid. You will be sad like me if you don't

[Darknight2433]

Well, I wore my retainer hardly at all, and there was only a little uneven two teeth in the front of my mouth, and I gave up on it. 3, 4 years later it's the same and looks great.

I prefer my teeth not being perfect, it makes them uniquely mine~

And I had braces for 5 years.  

Uhhh, stop going to the orthodontist if you want to go down my route. They just yell at you and cost you a hella lot for a new one. Don't try to stay through the pain of the old retainer unless it's only been a while since you've worn that specific one (I feel for you, I would be CRYING of how much it hurt)

[Teasel]

This is EXACTLY why I wear my retainers!

[Darknight2433]

They are so annoying, though. c:

[Sayda]

I had braces for a long time, and the dentists gave me the same deal. My bottom row has a retainer glued onto my teeth, which I hardly notice anymore. They gave me a retainer for my top teeth, but I stepped on it years ago. Since then, my teeth haven't moved. The only one that has has moved a few fractions over, and isn't noticeable at all, I can feel it with my tongue that it's different, but that's about it. My teeth were incredibly crooked when I was younger, too. You can start to tell if your teeth begin moving, I think it might be different for everyone, so I guess if you start feeling your teeth shift, you should talk to your orthodontist.