When it’s Time for the Braces to Go: Brackets Begone!
the marathon is over
But, how does the orthodontist take braces off? And, more importantly, does it hurt?
The marathon is over. Behind the brackets your new smile awaits. Just one last seat in the orthodontist's chair and you can say bye-bye to your brace.
Sit back, relax and let the butterflies of excitement do their thing in your tummy while your orthodontic team work their final magic on your smile.
What happens at my final brace visit?
plenty people ask:
You pop the questions, Health Smile Pharmacy provides the answers.
Why does my orthodontist do a final inspection?
One last look about will ensure your teeth are looking great and sitting tight. If all is well (and why wouldn’t it be -you’ve done the hard work) your orthodontist will begin to unbuckle those brackets.
Does it hurt when my brackets are taken off?
the big one
No, it won’t hurt. Phew!
You might hear a crunch, but we promise, the crunching is NOT your teeth. They aren’t in danger, but we get that your nerves might be high – this is new territory.
The noise you’ll hear comes from the bracket and the glue popping off your teeth. Consider it a specialist kind of ASMR and kick back.
How does the orthodontist take the brackets off my teeth?
the other big one
You know how orthodontists like their mysterious kit? Well, they have a special tool to snap your brackets.
What you didn’t know when you started all this is that your brackets are made to be broken. Their exit was engineered into their cunning little design. Suddenly, you’ve a new respect for those marines!
Settle in and rest assured, the popping and snapping sounds are the brackets, not your teeth. They’re beautifully intact! And marvellously in line!
Freedom never felt so good.
What’s that stuck to my teeth?
wait
Time to say adieu to adhesive, ciao to cement and goodbye to glue.
While the residue might be humming, I’m sticking with you, your orthodontist is cranking up the polisher to whirr off its remnants.
We already know what you’re asking ...
Does it hurt when the adhesive is ground away from my teeth after braces?
Ok, so,
No. It doesn’t hurt. Phew, again!
But there will be some ‘interesting’ sensations. The grinding does cause vibrations so it does feel a bit like your skull is vibrating too. It can be noisy and, because sound travels through bone, not even earplugs will help. It’s no worse than the school fire alarm. Plus, you don’t have to get up from your chair and file out into the wet.
But, talking of fire alarms, you might smell something like burning toast. You are not on fire. Neither are your teeth. It’s just friction on the cement, not your precious tooth enamel.
Will I need a retainer?
what's next
Yes. You might need one, or both (lucky you!):
A fixed retainer that is glued to the back of your front teeth. It’s a small, thin wire. You’ll get used to it – it’s nothing like as big as a brace. Keep your Monotip Brush to hand and replace regularly to keep that bad boy, well, retainering, minus the plaque!
A removeable retainer that you wear to sleep in. You’ll be tucking your teeth into it each night so keep it tip top and hygienic with VITIS Effervescent Cleaning Tablets. Or, subscribe to a Retainer Care Kit to make sure you’ve got exactly what you need when you wake and take your retainer out.
So that the lab can make your retainers, you might have impressions taken of your new mouth during the appointment. If not, it will be soon after.
Ta-da! Hello to smooth teeth, appliance free teeth. But why do I feel a bit weird?
and then
Who doesn’t love a reveal? No one. And at Healthy Smile Pharmacy, we’re all about the reveal. Take the photo.
But, in the same way your brace felt weird at first, now, weirdly, your teeth feel weird too. But only for a moment or so
You’re you again, minus the appliance and with a smile to celebrate. Hurrah!
And one last odd little thing might happen, but let’s get it in perspective ...
oh, ...
Without the brackets hiding your pearly whites, you might get the feeling your teeth have become rather long. We promise, they haven’t grown, it’s all just a shift in perception that will right itself very quickly. No need to order up the blacksmith to file your teeth down! That’s a Healthy Smile Pharmacy promise!
Keep brushing!
