If there’s one thing every orthodontics patient learns during treatment, it’s to adjust! And that doesn’t stop once your braces come off, either.
Sometimes braces wearers get frustrated with the treatment process, and who can blame them? Just when they become accustomed to one change, they have to adjust to something else!
Adjust to wearing braces, adjust to your changing smile, adjust your eating habits, adjust your oral hygiene habits, adjust your idea of how you look, adjust after your adjustment appointment… Good grief.
Fortunately, it all does come to an end eventually, and hopefully you’ve become a more adaptable person as a result (not a bad life lesson to go along with your new, even smile!).
After your braces come off, though, there is a final set of adjustments you must make. A final set of things you’re required to get used to.
The following are some of the things you’ll have to adjust to once your braces come off:
Eating feels weird.
Just like eating felt weird when you first got your braces, it’s going to feel weird to eat without them once they’re gone! You’ll be able to do simple things, like biting into an apple, again. You’ll be able to chew gum, candy, eat toffee and peanut brittle, and consume salad without half of it remaining on your teeth afterwards. Aside from all this, your mouth will just feel weird as you eat at first. But the dietary freedom can be exhilarating, so enjoy!
Calluses
Many orthodontics patients notice that they have calluses on the insides of their lips that have developed as a result of constant friction with braces over the months of years of treatment. Remember when you first got braces, and how raw and irritated the inside of your mouth felt? These calluses developed as a result of this. But not to worry! They won’t stick around for long after your braces have come off.
Brushing & Flossing
Your oral hygiene routine just got much easier! You no longer have to spend ages carefully navigating all the nooks and crannies of your braces, and can just brush and floss like normal. You know how when you were little, two whole minutes of brushing felt like an eternity? It’s going to feel like it goes by much quicker now!
Discolouration
As mentioned above, brushing and flossing with braces is tricky, and as a result even the most vigilant orthodontics patients sometimes find that their teeth have become a bit discoloured during treatment. For this reason, many patients choose to undergo a course of teeth whitening treatment to brighten their smiles back up.
More Appointments with your orthodontist… and another orthodontic appliance.
That’s right, you’re not getting rid of us that easily! You’ll need to have a few follow up appointments with us after your braces come off, so we can make sure that your retainer fits properly, and is doing its job.
And on that note, you’re not done wearing orthodontic appliances either. After your braces come off, you’ll be prescribed a retainer to keep your teeth in line. And on the note…
Settling
Once your braces come off, your newly-moved teeth won’t have anything to hold them in place anymore. You’ll have to wear your retainer full time until they settle into their new positions. After that, you’ll still need to wear it periodically (usually just at night) for the rest of your life.
Straight teeth!
The moment your braces come off is an exciting one. You’ll finally be able to see how beautiful and even your new smile is! It’s a drastic change, one that has an impact on the appearance of your whole face. You’ve worked hard for this, and we’re so happy for you. Congratulations!
