What to Expect After Getting Your Braces Off

Braces are an integral part of improving dental health. They help straighten teeth out of shape and strengthen the dental structure. People needing braces may be concerned about what happens after taking them off. Here is a detailed guide on getting your braces off to help clear your mind. The article will also answer how our expert team in OKC can help you with the effects of removing braces.

Do Your Teeth Hurt After Getting Braces Off?

Once braces get removed, you may experience discomfort that resolves independently after a few days. You will feel sore because of the lengthy attachment of the wires and brackets to your teeth. Also, exposed calluses on your lips from the removed brackets may be irritating. But that discomfort disappears pretty rapidly as well.

How to Make Teeth Less Sore After Braces

You can take some steps to reduce the soreness after removing the braces. 

• Taking over-the-counter Tylenol or Ibuprofen dosage can relieve the pain. Rinsing your mouth with warm saltwater while cleaning your teeth instead of cold or hot water also helps. 
• Cleaning your teeth with a soft bristles toothbrush and desensitizing toothpaste is best.
• Avoiding acidic foods, drinks, and hard-to-bite foods during this period is also advisable. 

Teeth Moving

After removing braces, your teeth will move naturally. It is why you wear your retainer, to keep your teeth straight. Such movement could be a result of several factors.

• Teeth return to their original position; braces shift teeth from their natural positions. Once removed, the teeth fibers can return to their original alignment if you don’t take proper precautions.
• The mouth does activities. For example, chewing food and speaking can cause your teeth to readjust and, thus, shift teeth after braces in your mouth.
• A shifting jaw as you grow older.
• Oral diseases that affect the gum.
• Grinding your teeth, the unconscious clashing of the lower and upper teeth set could stress and realign them.

How Quickly Do Teeth Move After Braces Come Off?

The rate at which teeth move after braces varies from person to person. For some, it is as soon as a week; for others, it takes months. Such a movement can affect a single tooth or a group of teeth. The fibers in each tooth have an elastic memory, which causes them to want to realign themselves in the natural position they held before the braces. Schedule a consult with Orthodontic Arts in OKC to correct your beautiful smile if this happens.

Stained Teeth

It is normal to find stains on your teeth after wearing braces for a while. It is because the metal sometimes proves to be a barrier when cleaning teeth. The result is a plaque buildup which leaves a discoloration after some time. The porous nature of teeth aids it. However, an orthodontic treatment procedure by Orthodontic Arts will fix that quickly.

The type of braces you have can influence the type of stains left on your teeth. For example, lingual braces will get fixed at the back of your teeth, meaning any plaque buildup will leave stains at the back rather than the front of your teeth. On the other hand, using Invisalign braces means you’ll have an easier time cleaning your teeth than standard braces, meaning you’ll have significantly fewer stains left on your teeth.

White Spots on Teeth

Built-up plaque not only turns teeth yellow, it also demineralizes them. It happens due to prolonged contact between the teeth’s enamel and acid. It dissolves important minerals like calcium and leaves pale chalk-like spots, also called white spot lesions.

They are bound to occur but can lessen by practicing thorough oral hygiene. What you eat and drink can also contribute to these white spots. For instance, foods and drinks high in acid or simple carbohydrates are more likely to erode your enamel and leave white spots.

How to Whiten Teeth After Braces

You can rid the stains off your teeth through several methods. For instance, you can use whitening agents from home. A whitening gel is one such example. You use them in conjunction with whitening trays by placing the gel on the trays, which are placed on your teeth to achieve the whitening effect. For surface stains, a simple solution such as whitening toothpaste might suffice. They contain cleaning and shining agents and a fluoride boost to strengthen teeth. However, visiting professional teeth whitening near you in OKC is advisable to be completely safe. 

How Long After Braces Can You Whiten Your Teeth?

It is advisable to let your teeth naturally heal after removing braces. Ideally, that would be six months. This waiting period allows your teeth to heal. Once you finish straightening your teeth, it gives time for your saliva to work on whatever stains are left behind. Waiting will also help you feel more comfortable whitening your teeth after braces.

How Long Are Teeth Sensitive After Braces?

The extra sensitivity in your teeth typically dies out within a week. For others, it is even a day or two fewer. It may be due to significantly worn-out enamel in rare cases of prolonged sensitivity. But that can also be fixed by Orthodontic Arts after getting your braces off.

How Long Will My Teeth Feel Loose After Braces?

The feeling of loose teeth lasts for approximately three days. It is due to the realignment of teeth after the braces put pressure on them. The feeling is normal and to be expected when getting your braces off.

Does the Orthodontist Clean Your Teeth After Braces?

An orthodontist will polish your teeth to remove the adhesive used to glue the brace’s brackets to your teeth. They also have access to the proper tools and expertise to devise the best program to whiten your teeth through brushing, flossing, and additional measures. They also advise how to wear your retainers full-time to ensure the best results and prevent additional staining or discoloration.

Do Orthodontists File Your Teeth After Braces?

For some patients, filing your teeth is a necessary step after getting your braces off. It is especially necessary if the teeth are uneven or the glue leaves a residue. An orthodontist can and does perform this procedure when required. They also have the tools to contour teeth if you have biting issues with straightened teeth.

What to Expect of Your Teeth After Braces

Braces help solve otherwise complex dental problems. The problems do not completely stop when you get the braces off. However, the benefits you see in your teeth far outweigh the discomforts or additional responsibilities you must take on to maintain good results. The small discomfort they cause is nothing compared to the smile they give you.

Orthodontic Arts, your number one Orthodontist in OKC. Our Certified Orthodontist provides the latest and greatest Orthodontic practices to our clients in the OKC and Midtown area. Orthodontic Arts is the best place for child and teen orthodontics as well as adult orthodontics. Be sure to ask about Invisalign and invisible braces! Contact us today at (405) 604-3745 or request an appointment.