Questions About Your Final Orthodontic Visit?
After many months or years, we know how excited patients are to have braces removed! Even with all the anticipation of seeing your new, straight teeth, you might be wondering what actually happens once you sit down in the orthodontist’s chair.
Learn more about what the process is like to help you prepare for your final orthodontic visit at Braces Braces.
Your Last Visit to Braces Braces
It’s time for your final appointment at our orthodontic office in Atlanta. Here’s what you can look forward to:
Final Orthodontic Exam
Before your braces can come off, you’ll first need to go through a final orthodontic exam. Your orthodontist will check your X-rays, bite alignment, and the overall health of your teeth and gums. If everything is satisfactory, they’ll move forward with removing your braces. If there are any concerns, you’ll schedule an appointment to return to the orthodontic office at a later date.
Removing the Braces
When the day arrives to reveal your new smile, your orthodontist will first remove the elastic bands holding your arch wires in place, then the arch wires will be removed. Once the bands on your molars have been removed, the orthodontist will use special orthodontic pliers to remove the brackets from your teeth. This step is typically painless, though you may feel slight discomfort on sensitive teeth.
After the brackets are off the teeth, there is typically a small amount of adhesive left on the tooth enamel. The orthodontist will then remove the adhesive and take a final look at your new smile.
Since Invisalign aligners are already removable, you don’t have to worry about this step for this particular treatment option.
Fitting the Retainer
Most patients need to wear a retainer after having braces removed to ensure that the teeth don’t shift out of place. You just spent all of this time carefully straightening your teeth, the last thing you want is for them to shift back to their original position.
After your braces are removed, an impression will be taken of your teeth to build a clear, plastic retainer, similar to how Invisalign looks. Depending on your orthodontist’s recommendation, you may need to wear this retainer all day, every day, for several months, and then only at night afterward. It’s also important to note that you won’t wear this type of retainer while eating or brushing.
Patients may also receive a permanent wire retainer that is bonded to the back of your top and/or bottom teeth, in addition to the plastic removable retainer. This is called a lingual retainer. You must take special precautions to care for this retainer, like using floss threaders to get between the teeth as you did while you were wearing braces.
Results
It’s time for results! After the “bite check” and once your treatment is complete, we will polish and whiten the teeth to ensure your new smile is as bright as possible. Your orthodontist will have custom retainers ready for you. Our team will also go over important oral health tips and proper retainer use and care, before taking pictures so you can truly see your smile transformation.
When you leave the orthodontic office, your mouth will likely feel a lot different. Your teeth will be smooth, and you may find yourself running your tongue over them and smiling a lot. You may even feel like running out and eating all the foods you couldn’t eat with braces on, which is completely fine within reason! You should still be sure to floss, brush and rinse every day. It’s important to continue proper dental care to protect your oral health, with or without orthodontics. Congrats on your new smile and welcome to the club!
How Long is the Overall Process?
This is one of the most common questions our team is asked. Patients want to know what to expect with timing and how long it will be until your final orthodontic visit. We want to help you through every stage of your braces journey. There are many factors that determine how long you will wear braces! Your orthodontist will discuss the factors that can affect timelines with you.
The Braces Braces team develops a comprehensive custom treatment plan for each patient. We’ll discuss an estimate of treatment time with all patients; however, this is only an estimate as every experience will be unique.
Ideally, we like to plan a 24-month treatment time, from beginning to end. This may take less or more time, depending on your needs. Please keep in mind that at Braces Braces, you pay one flat fee, regardless of duration of treatment. Our priority is always to achieve a healthy smile you or your child are happy with, whatever time it takes!
Preparing for Your Final Visit
If you have any more questions about your final orthodontic appointment, feel free to contact the Braces Braces orthodontic office. For so many patients, a healthier, straighter smile does wonders for their confidence. It’s one of our favorite aspects of the job and we look forward to seeing your beautiful new smile, too!
Visit us at one of our convenient locations around Atlanta. Braces Braces serves families in Acworth, Hiram, Covington, Marietta – East Cobb, Atlanta – Madison Yards, Alpharetta, Suwanee and McDonough. You can call us at (770) 222-2322 or fill out this online form.
