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After waiting months or years, the time has come to see your east Nashville dentist take your braces off. Once your braces are removed, you can enjoy all the missed meals and benefit from simpler dental hygiene practices. But probably the greatest thing is that your gorgeous grin can dazzle everyone.

After having fixed braces for a while, you might be eager to take them off, but what can you expect from the removal procedure?  

What Is the Purpose of Braces?   

Patients typically get braces to straighten, align, and close gaps in their teeth. Teeth that are too far apart or crowded can be relocated with braces, gaps that are too wide can be gradually closed, and tooth alignment inside the jaw can be adjusted. Overbites and underbites are usually treated with braces. These problems cause the top and bottom jaws to misalign when biting down, causing chewing discomfort and affecting speech.  

Braces can be used to enlarge the areas where new teeth form in young patients who are filling in too small spaces. This is done to avoid more serious tooth alignment difficulties after the entire set of adult teeth erupted. As part of a procedure to address other oral health disorders, like teeth grinding or clenching, some patients may be advised to get braces.  

Often, misaligned teeth can be one of the causes of these problems; thus, they should be fixed as part of the attempts to stop the situations from getting worse.  

The Process of Removing Braces 

Taking Off the Brackets  

Your orthodontist will apply mild pressure with pliers to the bracket bases. This weakens and splits the adhesive holding them together. This will be done for each bracket by your dentist. You will experience minor pressure on the teeth throughout the procedure, but it shouldn’t hurt.  

Removing the Extra Adhesive  

After the brackets are removed, a bonding adhesive will be left on the surface of your teeth. To completely remove this, your orthodontist must use a specialized tool. Removing the bonding glue normally takes five to ten minutes, depending on how much adhesive is still on your teeth. There may be some pain, even though it won’t harm, particularly if you have sensitive teeth.  

Creating a Retainer Mold   

After removing their braces, most people need to wear a retainer to keep their teeth in their new positions. Because every patient’s circumstances differ, your dentist might suggest wearing a retainer for a few years or permanently.  

After removing your braces, your gum tissue can be slightly irritated, but this should subside after a few days of careful brushing and flossing. Beyond that, be sure to keep up your healthy dental hygiene routine.   

The most crucial thing to remember is always to wear your retainer as directed; otherwise, you risk losing all the progress your braces accomplished.   

Are You Looking for a Reliable East Nashville Dentist?   

At Greenwood Local Dentistry and Orthodontics, our team can provide you with high-quality braces to help fix your misaligned teeth. Give us a call to learn more about the different services we offer!