Harwood Dental – How to take care of your teeth after wearing a brace

You had to spend a week or so getting used to your braces when they were first fitted and you’ll have to spend a week or two getting used to the feeling of not wearing your braces when they’re removed. At least when the treatment is complete your teeth are perfectly straight and your smile looks amazing! In fact, braces have been increasingly popular.

If you’ve been wearing brackets and wires for the past 6 months or maybe even longer, it’s reasonable to assume that you have adapted to eating and speaking with your braces on. For that reason, it’s going to feel a little weird while you adjust to an emptier mouth. Let’s have a look at the next steps of your alignment treatment to ensure your teeth remain straight, healthy and beautiful.

What happens when your braces are removed?

When the orthodontist here in Bolton removes your braces, you’ll feel a little pressure, but it won’t hurt. The bonding agent which held the brackets in place will be scraped off and you’ll get a good first look at the new, more flattering, position of your teeth.

Just how white and clean-looking your teeth are will depend upon how well you managed to look after them whilst wearing your braces. It’s a lot harder to keep your teeth clean if you’ve been wearing a fixed brace, rather than a removable one and many patients find they have smears on their teeth.

A hygienist appointment at our Bolton practice, will help get your new straight teeth looking shinier, but if you’d prefer them to be whiter still after a scale and polish, you can have a teeth whitening treatment. Please bear in mind we recommend you leave it a month before having a bleaching treatment, just in case your teeth are feeling sensitive.

Looking after your retainer

In order to keep your teeth in their new positions, your dentist may advise you to have a retainer fitted. This may consist of a fixed retainer, which is fitted to the back of your teeth, or a removable retainer. Your dentist will be to advise you of how having the retainer fitted will feel, as well as how you can best look after it.

Adjusting to life after braces

Your mouth is likely to feel strange immediately after having braces fitted, as we’ve mentioned, but additionally, you may experience extra saliva for a few days. Please don’t be alarmed. This is normal, as is learning to speak and eat again without braces in place. We do recommend that you don’t immediately treat yourself to crunchy foods on the forbidden list, until you’ve got used to how your teeth feel.

Braces will make your teeth straighter and straighter teeth make for a more attractive smile. The transition from having braces to not having braces doesn’t take long and is well worth the effort. All you need to remember is to keep brushing them as well as you can. Countless studies have proved that having beautiful teeth will help you be more successful in life and love, so if you’d like to find out more about having tooth straightening treatment, why not book a consultation with us here at Harwood Dental in Bolton? Please get in touch today.