After familiarizing yourself with the ins-and-outs of getting metal braces both physically and financially, taking the plunge and getting them requires one more thing: full commitment to the treatment. New oral hygiene routines, several acclimation periods, and rare instances of brackets breaking and other minor issues are only a few of the mixed-bag of experiences that await your journey towards getting the perfect smile.
And after the passage of several months, your orthodontist finally shares with you the news that you’ve long been waiting for: it’s time to have your braces removed. Seeing the efforts of months of hard work is undeniably a cause for celebration, but there are a few more things you need to do before and after getting your braces taken off.
Set up your appointment on an appropriate day
Despite sounding redundant, the main point of this tip is to inform you to set your debonding appointment on an appropriate day and time. The reason being: after getting your ceramic braces removed, it might take some time for you to adjust to life without your braces, and to get into the habit of wearing retainers at night. Your teeth will take some time to firm up in the gums, and if your gums were swollen, it would take several days for the swelling to subside. As such, it’s highly recommended to give them a break before celebrating with a buffet of your dearly missed foods or doing any other activities. Food particles may get lodged in your swollen gums. As a rule of thumb, it’s best to book your appointment on days when you can take it easy for several hours after your appointment.
Maintain your dental cleaning routine
The end of your braces treatment doesn’t necessarily signal the end of the cleaning routine you’ve religiously followed for the past several months. Perfectly straight teeth also need to be sparkling white so that you can confidently show them to others, so keep up those healthy habits indefinitely. The same goes for any other type of dental procedures, whether it be teeth whitening or invisible braces.
Be aware that it won’t be a quick procedure
Similar to the initial installation appointment, don’t expect your debonding procedure to be over in a snap. The actual removal of your braces doesn’t take too long, but the following steps, such as cleaning and preparing a mould for the retainers, will collectively take more than half an hour to complete.
Also, keep in mind that you’re likely to feel some startling sensations during this removal process. Sounds such as cracking, popping, or scraping from your teeth are all natural and are nothing to worry about. These noises will come from your orthodontist’s special tools, which they’ll use to remove the individual brackets from your teeth and scrape off the dental cement used to attach them. They won’t cause harm to your molars in any way, so just rest easy until the end of the procedure.
You have to be consistent with using your retainers
As mentioned briefly, your debonding procedure will typically be followed by retainer fitting before your orthodontic treatment is considered complete. Once you receive your retainer, make sure to use it according to your orthodontist’s instructions. Doing so is key to retaining your perfectly straight teeth since their main job is to allow your teeth to gently settle in their final position and prevent them from returning to their previous alignment.
Conclusion
Debonding your braces isn’t technically the end of your treatment – to enjoy your results for as long as possible, there are certain steps you have to commit to. Other than that, go ahead and enjoy your bedazzling smile to the fullest!