You’ve made it! You endured a mouth full of metal, achy gums, snapped rubber bands, and countless visits to the orthodontist’s office, and now it’s time to see your beautiful new smile! As excited as you are about getting your braces off, you may be nervous about the braces removal process. How do they remove the brackets? Will it hurt? How do they get the cement off my teeth? Will my mouth feel weird? If you’re asking yourself any of these questions, keep reading! We’ll explain the whole braces removal process so you know exactly what to expect.
Before Your Appointment
Before your appointment with the orthodontist, you should thoroughly clean your teeth. This will help the process go smoother and take less time. If you’re especially sensitive to oral pain, you may want to take some over-the-counter pain medication before your appointment. The braces removal process shouldn’t hurt, but because your teeth will no longer have anything holding them together, your gums may feel a bit sore as you get used to the sensation.
The Braces Removal Process
When you arrive at your appointment, your orthodontist will do one final examination to make sure you’re ready to have your braces removed. Once they determine you’re ready, they’ll start the braces removal procedure. To help the orthodontist be able to reach all your teeth, they may have you wear a special plastic piece that keeps your mouth open and your lips out of the way. It may look funny, but it makes the process quicker and easier for everyone involved.
First, the orthodontist will use a metal device to snap the braces off your teeth. They’ll usually remove the brackets and wire off all in one piece. If you have metal bands on your back molars, they’ll remove these as well.
Next, your orthodontist will give your teeth a thorough cleaning. They’ll remove any food particles or plaque that was stuck underneath your braces, then use a grinder to remove the dental adhesive from the surface of your teeth.
Once your teeth are all smooth and shiny, the orthodontist will likely take X-rays of your teeth to check if your bite is okay and make sure the braces did their job. They may also check to see if your wisdom teeth are developing, and if they are, they may suggest getting them removed. Wisdom teeth can mess up your teeth’s alignment and undo all the work your braces just did, so it’s important to monitor them closely and get them removed at the proper time.
Getting Your Retainer
After your braces are removed, you still won’t be done with metal in your mouth for a while. You will still need to wear a retainer for a while so that your teeth don’t shift back into their original position. The amount of time you’ll need to wear your retainer depends on several factors, and you’ll need to follow your orthodontist’s instructions to ensure your teeth stay where they’re supposed to be.
To ensure your retainer fits perfectly, your orthodontist may take x-rays, make a digital scan of your teeth, or create molds of your teeth using a special putty. They’ll use this information to create custom retainers just for you.
After Your Appointment
It’s time to celebrate and show everyone your new smile! Now it will be so much easier to keep your teeth clean; plus, you won’t have the same food restrictions as before. However, it’s important not to go overboard with sugary snacks and hard candy. You just revealed your beautifully shiny smile, and you don’t want to ruin it with things like tartar and gum disease, so be careful with how much sugar you consume.
In addition to wearing your retainer as instructed to keep your teeth aligned, you may choose to do teeth whitening treatments. Braces can cause discoloration on the surface of your teeth, especially if you weren’t super diligent about thoroughly cleaning under and around your braces. Luckily, these stains may fade on their own over time, but you can help the process along by using at-home whitening strips or getting whitening procedures done at your dentist.
Braces at Pobanz Orthodontics
If you’re looking to straighten your teeth through braces or Invisalign, turn to Pobanz Orthodontics for high-quality dental care and excellent customer service. At Pobanz, we pride ourselves on helping our patients gain confidence and improving their smiles. If you have questions about the orthodontic treatments we offer, contact us or schedule an appointment. We can’t wait to hear from you!
