Brace Removal: What to Expect & Aftercare

Orthodontists sometimes use dental braces to help bring a patient's teeth into alignment and create a more aesthetically-pleasing smile. Dental braces consist of small metal brackets cemented to each tooth and then connected with a wire. The wire is adjusted periodically to pull teeth in the proper direction. Most people wear braces for a year or longer before they are removed by an orthodontist. Removing dental braces is a fairly quick procedure that should only be performed by an orthodontist to prevent causing damage to teeth.

Things You'll Need

• Dental pliers
• Dental scraper
• Dental polisher

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Instructions

• 1

  Remove the rubber bands that hold the connecting wire onto the metal brackets; remove the wire.

• 2

  Use dental pliers to gently squeeze each bracket and remove it from the tooth. The bracket will pop off the tooth without causing any pain, but the patient might experience a feeling of slight pressure. There will be some cement left on the teeth.

• 3

  Use a dental scraper tool to gently remove any remaining cement from the teeth. Some orthodontists also use a polishing tool to remove remaining cement.