Are Braces Painful to Remove?
If you’re like most other orthodontic patients out there, you’ve been waiting for the day your braces come off. No matter how long you’ve had brackets and wires on your teeth, it’s exciting to finally have them removed. Before you show up for your visit, however, our Carmel, IN, orthodontists want to brief you on the details.
Here’s what you can expect for the .
Preparing for Your Appointment
Your metal or ceramic braces have worked day in and day out to move your teeth into the ideal position determined by our orthodontists. Their job is now complete and naturally, there is no longer need for the various components attached to your teeth.
That means you’ll be asked to come into our Carmel, IN, orthodontics office for your . Fortunately, there isn’t much you need to explicitly prepare for unless your teeth are rather sensitive to having dental work done. If they are, we recommend taking over-the-counter pain medication prior to arriving.
It also isn’t the worst idea if you show up with clean teeth and braces. That way, our orthodontists and staff will have less to worry about in terms of cleaning up after the braces are taken off. What’s one more good brushing session, anyway? It’s the last time you’ll have to do it with your braces!
The Process of Removing Braces
Once you’re seated in the chair and comfortable, we’ll start by using special pliers to loosen and remove each bracket. This will leave behind the adhesive used to initially bond the brackets to your teeth but we’ll get to that next. Hearing “cracking” or “popping” sounds during this stage is completely normal and should not cause pain.
With the brackets gone, we’ll move on to removing the dental cement or bonding glue. Because the substance is built to last, we’ll need to scrape your teeth and polish them with the help of a dental drill. This stage is all about making sure the enamel is clean, polished, and healthy.
It’s important to remember that during this appointment, you will also be fitted for your orthodontic retainer. Wearing your retainer as instructed will keep your teeth from shifting back to their original positions. To create the retainer, we’ll take impressions of your teeth. It will take some time for the retainer itself to be ready so we will let you know when you can retrieve it if it isn’t good to go while you’re here.
How Long It Takes
Luckily, having braces removed is much quicker and less involved than when you first got them. That’s because getting braces put on requires careful placement of each bracket, addition of the archwires, and application of all elastic bands.
The entire process should only take about an hour, though it can depend on the patient. If you’re someone who had more to their metal braces, i.e., more components, it may take us a little longer to get rid of every bit of bonding glue.
Note: It’s totally normal for your teeth to feel sore after your appointment. Try to stay away from hard foods and choose softer options for a few days instead. If you have puffy gums, this should resolve within a month or two but shouldn’t cause any issues.
Oral Care After Braces Are Off
Now that your braces are gone, it should be much easier to care for your teeth! You can also return to eating all of your favorite foods as long as you keep up with daily oral hygiene. Our orthodontists recommend you continue to brush at least twice a day and floss at least once. Integrating a mouthwash into your routine is also beneficial.
Be sure to wear your retainer how our orthodontists have specified to avoid unwanted shifting of teeth. Over time, you may be instructed to wear the retainer less but do not limit how much it’s worn unless told to do so.
Call Our Carmel Office
Getting your braces taken off is so exciting because it means a whole new smile! You’re finally done and you should feel proud. Our orthodontists in Carmel, IN, are also very proud of how far you’ve come and we will continue to be here for you whenever you have questions or need something with your retainer. Call WestClay Orthodontics today at (317) 593-1400 to request an appointment.