We all wish to have a perfect dental structure and a smile worth flaunting. It’s for this reason that Orthodontic treatment is one of the most sorted after dental treatment.
Unlike most treatments, Orthodontic treatment takes a long time to yield the desired results. This treatment is done by attaching metallic braces to your teeth to hold them in place.
After months or even years of waiting, an Orthodontist will then take off the braces. With the time and resources put into this treatment, it is only fair to expect perfect results.
However, this is not always the case. Even though your orthodontist might remove the brace glue, some of the residues might remain on your teeth, making them appear discolored.
However, this should not worry you. There is a way you can remove braces glue at home.
You can quickly formulate your own teeth whitening paste at home and use it to get rid of brace glue. The procedure of making this paste is straightforward; anyone can do it without a problem.
The paste itself is harmless to your teeth, and it works well as an economical way of whitening your teeth.
A Detailed Procedure Of How To Remove Brace Glue At Home
Even though this is a home remedy, it is known to give outstanding results. You first start by preparing the cleaning paste.
Take half a tablespoon of 12% hydrogen peroxide and put it in a clean bowl. Add baking soda to the bowl and stir. Two tablespoons should be enough. Make sure you stir well to achieve a perfectly mixed paste.
The reaction between the two ingredients will produce bubbles. This is the chemical reaction that gives the paste its glue removing properties.
This paste does not affect your teeth. You should, however, avoid swallowing it as this may cause stomach irritation.
Rinse your mouth with warm water for half a minute. Ensure that all the parts of your mouth are thoroughly rinsed to get good results. For the best results, rinse your mouth at least twice.
Take your toothbrush and dip the surface of its bristles into the paste. You should avoid soaking the entire toothbrush in the paste. You can use a compact electric toothbrush for braces so it will be a more easy process.
Use the paste as your toothpaste and brush your teeth thoroughly for about 5 minutes. Focus on the areas that are more affected by the glue residue. You should, however, take care not to harm your gums with the brush.
Using a blunt toothpick, gently scrub the glue residue off your teeth. A lot of care is needed at this point, as you can easily hurt your gums. Proper scrubbing should remove all the glue from its original position.
Rinse your mouth again with warm water to get rid of the paste. At this point, your teeth should be free of any glue. If there is still any residue left on the teeth, repeat the brushing process to clean them further.
Can You Safely Remove Braces At Home?
There is no way safe of removing braces at home. Removing braces is not only complicated, but it also requires specialized skills to carry it out.
Attempting this process on your own is likely to hurt you and cost you money to get medical help to treat yourself.
Dentists use special tools that are designed to pop off braces from teeth. They also perform this procedure in special light to ensure they do it right.
Proper brace removal involves removing the brackets and polishing off any bonding material that may be stuck on the teeth. You are bound to hurt yourself by trying to remove braces at home.
Risks Associated With Removing Braces AT Home
Removing braces at home might seem like a minor deal to many, but it comes with many implications. What are some of the risks associated with eliminating braces at home?
1. Waste of time and money
Removing braces at home invalidates all the time and resources spent in orthodontic treatment. Removing the braces on your own will in no way save you money.
Brace removal is usually one of the last procedures and is generally paid for upfront and installation. Wrongfully removing them can cause damages to the teeth, therefore, prompting further correction treatment.
Braces are also expensive. Replacing them might cost you a fortune. The orthodontist will most definitely charge you to reattach them.
Dentists also install retainers after removing braces to prevent orthodontic relapse. Removing braces without putting retainers in place will give your teeth room to wander around into undesired positions.
Such an occurrence will invalidate your efforts in correcting your dental formula. This will force you to start over again by installing a fresh set of braces.
2. It exposes you to dental problems
Forceful removal of braces might chip or break or cause abrasion to your teeth. The Binding used to hold the braces might also remove part of the tooth enamel. This greatly reduces the quality of your enamel.
This will form a dent in the tooth. Apart from making your teeth unappealing, the cut can also act as a pathway for bacterial, which might cause tooth decay.
Let’s not forget that correcting such a dent will also cost you money. A dent on the surface of your teeth makes it easier for bacteria to hide and hide under your tooth.
3. It can cause a lot of pain
Braces can cause a great deal of discomfort to their wearer. This is probably the main reason why people decide to get them off prematurely without consulting their orthodontists.
However, the truth is that by removing your braces at home, you might subject yourself to unimaginable pain.
Dentists use special instruments to take off braces. These instruments make the process efficient and painless. If done by a professional, the process of removing braces usually takes less than 10 minutes.
You can accidentally slice your gums, which will also expose you to dental infections apart from being painful. Unpolished bonding on the surface of your teeth might also cause you a great deal of discomfort.
4. Can lead to loss of teeth
You might lose a tooth by trying to remove braces on your own. Braces work by moving teeth to the desired position. It takes time before a shifted tooth to be firmly rooted in its new place.
Applying too much pressure on such a tooth can easily knock it off. This is why dentists use special pliers that do not exert any pressure on teeth while removing braces.
You might be excited about relieving yourself the discomfort of having braces, but I doubt if it is worth risking losing a tooth for.
Caring For Your Teeth After Removing Braces
You ought to have a well-crafted dental hygiene program that will ensure your teeth remain straight and pristine white after removing braces.
This is a crucial post orthodontic treatment program. Failure to diligently take care of your teeth will certainly guarantee you another unpleasant visit to the dentist.
1. Keep your dentist close
Regularly visit your dentist. This will allow the dentist to inspect your teeth to curb any oral issues like shifting teeth proactively.
You also stand to benefit from a thorough dental cleaning that will eliminate stains that might have built up beneath the braces. Dental cleaning will also take care of any bacteria-growing indents that braces might have left behind.
You could also try a teeth whitening treatment. Such treatment will exhaustively take care of any discolorations associated with orthodontic treatments.
2. Implement a diligent home dental hygiene routine
It would help if you brushed your teeth at least two times a day. Never go to bed before brushing your teeth, as this might lead to teeth discoloration.
It is essential to use a brush with soft bristles to reduce abrasion against your teeth, which might lower your enamel’s quality. Replace the brush whenever the bristles become frayed.
Clean your retainers regularly. Rinse your mouth with warm water after eating foods that cause discoloration. Such foods include sugary substances, coffee, and tea. This will prevent the formation of stains on your teeth.
Floss once a day to remove debris stuck in between your teeth. Some food particles might get stuck in places where a toothbrush cannot reach them. Failure to clean out such particles might lead to the formation of stains and cavities.
Flossing your teeth after supper before going to bed has proven to be the best practice. It might seem like a lot of work initially, but a couple of days into it, you won’t feel any strain.
Conclusion
The residue of brace glue is often left behind after removing braces. These glue deposits form a rough patch on the teeth that causes a great deal of discomfort. They also cause teeth to appear discolored.
You can, however, get rid of the brace glue using locally available ingredients. Two spoons of baking soda and a half scoop of hydrogen peroxide are all you need to get your teeth shining again.
Even though this home remedy works just fine, this procedure’s outcome cannot be compared to that of getting professional teeth treatment.