How Do Braces Come Off?
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The purpose of wearing braces is to straighten out teeth. Once your teeth are straight and your smile is aligned, your orthodontist will take the braces off. The orthodontist will first remove the arch wires by snipping the wires between some of the brackets. Sometimes, it is necessary to clip every open wire and pull out wire from each bracket individually. However, it is more common to clip the arch wire between every other bracket and slide the wire through two brackets to remove it.
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Next, the orthodontist will remove the brackets. This is done by prying the brackets off the tooth. However, extreme care is taken not to damage the tooth. While this is being done, the patient will feel some pressure. Some of the brackets may explode while they are being removed. This is normal and doesn't cause any damage.
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Once the wires and brackets have been taken away, the orthodontist will remove the glue from the teeth using a specialized tool. This tool shoots highly pressurized cold air onto the teeth to blast the glue away. During this portion of the removal process, the patient must remain completely still despite the sharp pain of the cold air hitting the teeth. For this reason, some orthodontists may numb a patient's gums. The patient will then be fitted for a retainer, which is used to keep the teeth straight.
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Once the braces come off, if the retainer isn't worn, the teeth may become crooked once again. However, the use of the retainer is temporary because it trains the teeth to remain in position without the pull of the braces.
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