Braces aren’t the most desirable accessories. If you wear braces, you’ll know it all too well.
Braces may give you these reasons to be annoyed or irritated, and compel you to remove braces at home:
- Eating anything hard and chewy is a nightmare.
- You’re paranoid that you’ll stain them.
- You always have the feeling that something is stuck in them.
- Tightening them is painful.
- There are frequent cuts in your mouth and tongue because of the wires and brackets.
- It’s a tricky exercise to hide your braces and still look happy.
- You simply cannot pronounce ‘s’.
- Everyone tells you that it’ll be worth it in the end. They’re RIGHT, obviously. And, you too know that they are right.
Orthodontic treatment gives you the desired result, but it doesn’t happen overnight. It takes months or even years to achieve the smile you can confidently flaunt. But it requires patience.
Once the treatment is over, the orthodontist will remove the braces and place retainers after braces to keep your teeth from shifting to where they were before the treatment.
If you have been wearing braces, and if you may have often thought of removing braces at home, then this article is for you. Don’t do it without consulting an orthodontist. It’s a risk that may not be worth taking.
Know the Risks Involved in Removing Braces at Home
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You may lose your teeth
When you consider removing braces at home, there is a high chance of losing your permanent teeth. While you remove braces yourself, you may find your tooth at a very vulnerable position. It may be already moving in the direction where it is supposed to move. And you catch it at the wrong time, making it come off as you apply force to remove the braces.
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You may make it easy for bacteria to cause cavities
When you try to remove braces with force, they may chip, scratch or cause abrasions on your teeth. It then becomes easy for bacteria to hide and grow on your teeth to create cavities. Taking off braces on your own may also decrease the quality of your tooth enamel.
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You may unintentionally help your teeth to wander aimlessly
If you remove braces at home, your teeth will lose the direction they were supposed to take and will be free to move in whatever direction they please. That’s the reason why orthodontists use retainers after braces, once your orthodontic treatment is completed. The retainers keep the teeth from an orthodontic relapse.
Without dental braces to restrict the teeth, they can move around in any direction due to the pressures and stresses of the mouth.
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You may put yourself in a lot of pain
You may want to remove braces at home to get rid of the pain and other problems associated with braces. But maybe you have not thought this through. Removing braces yourself could be a way to self-inflict real pain.
During the self-removal process, the gums may even start to bleed, and you will be at the risk of dental infections.
You just cannot use any tools to remove braces at home. There are special tools orthodontists use to remove them when the treatment is over. These special tools are efficient and cause minimal pain.
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You may waste your time and money
Removing braces at home is a perfect example of wasting your time and money. Consider the time and money you have spent on your orthodontic treatment so far, was all in vain.
And, if during the self-removal process, you damage your teeth, then correcting them will require you to shell out more money.
Footnotes
You may be tempted to remove braces at home. But, don’t ignore the risks. The best thing is to consult a professional before you attempt removing braces at home. Call Thurman Orthodontics today!
Related Post: 7 Dangers of DIY Orthodontic Treatment for Your Teen
Dr. Brian Thurman has spent his entire life enjoying all the beauty that California has to offer. A Fresno native, he still escapes to the ocean or the mountains whenever his busy schedule allows. Driven by his love for natural beauty, Dr. Thurman enjoys creating beautiful smiles and healthy bites that last a lifetime. He is proud to be the only Ivy League trained Orthodontist in the Fresno/Clovis area.