A dental visit can be for many reasons. Though most people visit their dentist only when they have pain or discomfort in their teeth, other reasons can be when you have crooked teeth, teeth with gaps in them, when your bite is not aligned properly, bleeding gums, jaw pain, etc.
Crooked or improperly aligned teeth can be straightened out using braces. However, braces are not very comfortable to be walking around with and so most patients ask their orthodontist about removing braces early, and some do so in just a few appointments.
Can You Get Braces Off Early?
When going with the braces treatment, people often feel irritated due to complexities. So, they have a common question in mind about can I get braces off early? Well, the answer is no, as one needs to complete the tenure for treatment.
Braces by far, the most effective ways to straighten your teeth and give you a beautiful smile. Newer options like clear aligners are available today that are way more comfortable than traditional braces. Every orthodontic patient wants to have the perfectly-aligned set of teeth in the shorted amount of time and so, constantly enquire their dentist about removing braces early.
When you begin your orthodontic treatment, your orthodontist will explain the entire treatment plan to you and give you an estimated timeline for the completion of your treatment. While you may be preoccupied with questions like “can braces be removed early?”, your orthodontist will make clear a few things –
- The planned treatment and movements to set your teeth in a straight line
- Frequency of your appointment visits
- Oral hygiene measures
While every patient undergoing orthodontic treatment needs to follow his/her orthodontist’s instructions, that however doesn’t guarantee removing braces early.
How Can Braces Be Removed Early?
All orthodontic patients who are excited initially begin to get impatient as the treatment progresses and look forward to removing braces early. But, orthodontic treatment is going to take time! Yes, you read that right! It takes time for your teeth to move and settle in their new places before the entire treatment can be declared complete.
The movement of teeth during orthodontic treatment occurs in phases wherein, in the first phase, teeth are moved to the desired place and in the second phase, they settle in this new place. The movements are, therefore, gradual. Bringing about quick movements using braces can be harmful to your teeth.
However, some things you can do for removing braces early are:
- Maintain excellent oral hygiene as healthy teeth move and settle down faster compared to diseased teeth and gums
- Do not miss your appointment with your orthodontist
- Remember to wear any appliances of elastics that are provided to you during the course of your treatment
- Follow the diet prescribed by your orthodontist and avoid any sticky, hard foods that may be damaging to your braces and cause a delay in your treatment
- Be cautious and careful to prevent any breakage of your brackets as a broken bracket would mean no forces applied on your teeth, and delay in removing braces early
- Avoid habits such as nail-biting, playing with the elastics on your braces or your braces themselves
Why You Should Force your Orthodontist to Remove Your Braces Early?
Your orthodontist will remove your braces and provide you with a retainer once he/she is sure that all your teeth have moved into the desired places and your bite has been aligned properly. However, there are some patients who look forward to removing braces early, irrespective of the treatment completion.
However, this isn’t the right thing to do. Removing braces early, without treatment completion can result in the following –
- Higher chances of relapse
- Incomplete treatment leads to improper positioning of teeth
- Wastage of time and money spent on the treatment so far
- Since the teeth are now in improper positions, they can give rise to different dental problems
If a patient wants to remove his/her braces early, they will most likely be asked to sign a form stating that they wanted the early removal of their braces before treatment was completed. So, for all those of you who are wondering “what happens if I remove my braces early?”, your dental health may be more compromised with an incomplete treatment that it was before beginning treatment.
Can Anything Prevent You From Getting Braces Removed Early?
Ideally, your braces should be removed only after your treatment is complete and your teeth have had a few weeks in their newly assigned positions. This time frame reduces the chances that your teeth will relapse.
Sometimes instead of removing braces early, your braces may need to stay on your teeth a little longer because your orthodontist may not be satisfied with the tooth placement or an expected movement may not have occurred. In these cases, your treatment time may get slightly prolonged.
How are Braces Removed?
Whether you are removing braces early or in time, the post-treatment procedure remains the same. Once your orthodontist is convinced that your treatment is complete, he/she uses a special plier to remove the brackets off your teeth. The surfaces of the teeth are now smoothened out to remove any excessive dental glue.
Next, thorough cleaning and polishing is done to remove any food debris, calculus and plaque that may have accumulated in and around your teeth and gums. Then, upper and lower measurements are made for the fabrication of retainers. The retainers are upper and lower trays, made either from acrylic or polyurethane and help hold the teeth in their newly assigned places.
Removing braces early and wondering how to achieve that is high on every orthodontic patient’s mind. If you have any queries about orthodontic treatments, visit our Sabka Dentist clinics and consult with our consultant orthodontists!
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Expert Opinion
- Dr. Reena Waghela Dental Director of Sabka dentist says ” It is common for all orthodontic patients to wish their braces are removed early.”
- Dr. Rupali Gujar Dental Director of Sabka dentist says “If you maintain good oral hygiene, keep your appointments and follow the dietary restrictions recommended by your orthodontist.”
- Dr. Preethi Nagarajan Dental Director of Sabka dentist says “If you wish to remove braces early, you will not get the same results as you would have if you waited until treatment completion.”
