If you are getting close to having your braces off then this can be a very exciting time for you. You might be thinking about your teeth before and after braces, how far you’ve come, how much your teeth moved with the braces, and what your smile and oral life will be like after the braces are removed.
What to Know About Brace Teeth After Braces
Coming up on this point in your treatment process can sometimes mean that you’re now asking questions about things that you felt would never get here. Questions like how do they remove braces? How do they take off your braces from your teeth? And are there any issues with teeth after braces that you need to be aware of? Knowing the braces removal process and how your orthodontist gets them off and what will happen next are all questions that many individuals ask but few, unless they’ve already undergone the process themselves, know the answers to.
There is also a catch. Orthodontists have said that it can be challenging to keep track of the levels of patient adherence (Nawaf Al-Shammary, 2020), and that not all patients adhere to their guidelines. So if you want to know how to remove braces and how long does it take to get braces off, and possibly most importantly, what do you need to do after, then this article is for you.
How to remove braces?
The braces removal process is not overly complicated but it does absolutely need to be done by a professional. If you look online for how to remove braces you will find the standard medical answer. Getting braces off will take place when you visit a licensed orthodontic facility. Your orthodontist will use small wire clippers to clip off and remove the wires. Then they use a tool to remove the brackets, and then they will use a special polish and a tooth scraper to get the glue or binding agent off of your teeth.
It is not painful and does not take long. However, since people are looking into this topic, it’s important to give a warning about the other very popular and searched method and that is individuals who attempt to do this at home. While looking up information on the topic of how to remove braces, you will likely come across some quacks who attempt to give directions for how it can be done at home. This is absolutely not recommended.
The only way how to take off your braces yourself is if you are using clear aligners and you are sliding them off to clean them or to eat.
While it is an easy process for a professional orthodontist to remove braces and it does not take them long to do it, getting braces off at home with improper tools and improper knowledge of oral health can be dangerous. It can take a great moment of finally getting to have your braces off and begin your return to a post-braces smile and make it something far worse if teeth are chipped, if the enamel is scratched, or if the teeth are shoved or pushed into wrong positions. Worse yet, it can lead to breaking a tooth due to improper removal.
Think of it this way – if it took an orthodontist to put them on, it requires an orthodontist to take them off. You should never attempt to do any major or minor orthodontic work on yourself. Even qualified orthodontists will visit an orthodontist for their personal needs. Don’t be an individual who falls into the trap of thinking they can save a few dollars by gambling with their oral health.
If you spent the time and money already to have the beautiful smile that you’ve always wanted or for your child, then is absolutely worth it to have them removed correctly, safely, and by a trained orthodontic professional. Never attempt orthodontic work at home regardless of what you see online. Especially since your orthodontic office will be able to do it far safer and far faster. This leads to the next most common question:
How long does it take to get braces off?
This is one that many individuals like the sound of as getting your braces off is ideally the thing that you’ve been looking forward to for all these months that you’ve been wearing braces. Now that the time has finally come, you might want to know how long will actually take to remove them? The truth is not long at all.
A highly skilled and professional orthodontic office like Ivanov Orthodontics can have your braces removed in just one session oftentimes and in as little as an hour. Having a professional remove your braces is far safer and faster and since it only takes an hour for them to do it it is absolutely worth the trip to have it done by the best in the business.
Now that your braces are off, are there any post braces care tips or things you need to know?
Know about brace removal and after braces dental care. Image by Johannes R. Meister MA from Pixabay
Life after braces
Your orthodontic office is likely to recommend the utilization of a retainer. Retainers are important oral care implements that help keep your teeth in the correct position. According to orthodontists, a retainer is an orthodontic appliance that stabilizes and maintains the correct position of your newly situated teeth. This is necessary to wear until the body’s natural supportive structures have been reorganized and strengthened to support your teeth in their new positions(Shyamala Naidu & Anand Suresh, 2018).
Your teeth have been pulled and shifted into the preposition utilizing braces but now that they’re in the right positions, it’s important to make sure that they stay there. This is where retainers come in. Retainers keep your teeth in the right positions as your body will naturally want to move your teeth back to the original ones. They are designed to prevent having a tooth moved after braces. That’s why utilizing a retainer for several months to several years after the completion of your braces treatment will make sure that your teeth are set in their new positions and do not shift back.
Orthodontists can also get frustrated if their patients are not able to retain the corrections made during the several months of their active orthodontic management. This phase is one of the most challenging times for an orthodontist as well (Shyamala Naidu & Anand Suresh, 2018).
This means that you will have to be caring for your teeth and your retainer regularly by brushing and flossing your teeth as well as making sure to follow the proper cleaning directions and procedure for your retainer. The longer you wear your retainer, the better off your teeth will be. While some individuals receive a recommendation to wear their retainer for life due to individual issues, most people will eventually not have to utilize the retainer any more. They will truly have their oral treatment complete.
With all that information in mind, you can now look forward to getting your braces off, knowing you’ll be done quickly, safely, by a professional, and that you can look forward to your post braces smile.
Summary:
Compliance with orthodontic guidelines and dental care is something that many orthodontists measure. It is essential for your oral health that you adhere to the guidelines set by your orthodontist.
That’s why it cannot be over-stated that whether it is in regard to your routine oral hygiene or your diet while you have braces, it is necessary to follow your orthodontist’s instructions.
Furthermore, it is necessary to follow the guidelines provided for you once your braces are removed. You may wonder how to take off your braces. This will be taken care of by your orthodontist.
One of the more commonly known tools that patients require after their braces have been removed is the retainer. Your orthodontist will provide you with the necessary information on how to wear your retainer and why it is necessary.One of the many reasons that patients visit the orthodontist for braces is because they do not like the position of their teeth. This may have caused them to feel self-conscious and may have lowered their self-esteem. And, one of the selling points of getting one’s teeth fixed is to be able to wear that beautiful smile and lose all feelings of self-consciousness due to one’s oral state.
This much anticipated phase is important to you and is a good reason to follow your orthodontist’s guidelines to maintain the progress of your treatment.
References
Nawaf Al-Shammary. (2020). Development of a Tool to Assess Adherence in Adult Patients Undergoing Orthodontic Treatment. Journal of Orthodontics & Endodontics, 6(4.8). https://orthodontics-endodontics.imedpub.com/development-of-a-tool-to-assess-adherence-in-adult-patients-undergoing-orthodontic-treatment.php?aid=34961
Shyamala Naidu & Anand Suresh. (2018). ORTHODONTIC RETAINERS. Orthodontics. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/338990573_ORTHODONTIC_RETAINERS/link/5e37c3a9299bf1cdb9084dbf/download
