If you’re getting braces soon, you may be experiencing some nervousness or apprehension. You also probably have some questions about the installation process. Keep reading to get answers to five different questions you may have about getting braces and learn what you can expect from your braces installation appointment.

#1. How Should I Prepare For My Appointment?

Before getting your braces on, you may want to eat some of the things you should avoid with braces, like hard candy, gum, or popcorn. You’ll likely have your braces on for at least a year, so have some fun while you can! Just make sure you brush and floss after eating anything sugary or sticky.

You’ll also want to stock up on braces-friendly food you can eat if your mouth is sore. Soft foods such as oatmeal, mashed potatoes, soft-cooked vegetables, scrambled eggs, soft fruit, yogurt, smoothies, and pasta are all good options.

In the weeks leading up to your appointment, you should take special care of your teeth. You don’t want any bacteria or plaque to get trapped underneath your braces. Give them one last thorough cleaning right before your appointment to help the whole process go smoother.

You may want to take some over-the-counter pain medication prior to your appointment to help prevent any soreness. 

#2. What Kinds of Braces Are There?

The braces installation process can vary based on which type of braces you choose. At Pobanz Orthodontics, we offer three types of braces:

• Traditional braces: These braces use metal brackets, which are adhered to the front of the teeth, along with a wire and rubber ties. These braces are effective, but modern innovations have made other types of braces more comfortable and less intrusive.
• Damon braces: Unlike traditional braces, which create a straight line, Damon braces move the teeth into a curved position, which looks more natural. These braces are available in metal or ceramic.
• Pitts 21 braces: These are the least conspicuous type of braces because the brackets are smaller and are placed close to the gum line. Instead of utilizing rubber ties to affix the wire to the brackets, the wire is threaded through the brackets. This makes orthodontic appointments quick and easy and can even reduce the amount of time patients will need to have their braces on.

#3. How Are Braces Installed?

If your back teeth are too close together, about a week before installing your braces, your orthodontist may put rubber bands or spacers between your teeth to create room for bands around your back teeth. These spacers are not permanent and will come out once your braces are installed. 

Once there is sufficient space between your back teeth, it’s time to get your braces! Your orthodontist will start with thoroughly cleaning and drying your teeth to ensure nothing gets trapped underneath the brackets. 

Next, your orthodontist will glue the brackets onto your teeth and cure it with a blue light. After that, they will slide a metal band around your back molar to anchor the braces. You may feel some pinching or pressure during this process as the orthodontist adjusts the size of the band.

The final step in the braces installation process is attaching the archwires. For traditional or Damon braces, the orthodontist attaches the wire to the brackets using small rubber bands; however, for Pitts 21 braces, no rubber bands are necessary.

#4. How Long Will It Take?

The amount of time it will take for your orthodontist to install your braces varies depending on the type of braces, but on average, you can expect it to take one to two hours. Your orthodontist can provide you with a more specific timeframe.

#5. Will I Feel Any Pain?

You shouldn’t feel any sharp pain during the braces installation process, but you will probably feel some soreness as your mouth gets used to the braces. There are many ways to alleviate the soreness, including medication, oral anesthetics, orthodontic wax, ice, and even a saltwater rinse. 

The soreness should only last a few days after installation or adjustment. If the pain lasts longer than that or is too intense, talk to your orthodontist to find a solution.

Get Your Braces at Pobanz Orthodontics

If you’re ready for braces, come to Pobanz Orthodontics! Our professional team has the experience and expertise needed to help you achieve your orthodontic goals. Schedule an appointment today to get started or contact us with any questions.

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!