Braces removal- what can I expect?

[hypocrite opportunist]

I'm scheduled to have my braces removed (fingers crossed) next week, and I was hoping someone could tell me what to expect from the appointment? How long does it take? Is it painful? My brackets were placed very high on my teeth, and I am terrified that my gums have grown over the brackets a bit, especially in the back molars, and that it's going to be excruciating and bloody to rip them off. Also, I know the ortho polishes the cement off the teeth after the brackets are removed. My teeth are pretty sensitive in general- will this hurt as well? As you can tell, I'm a little scared about all this! Thanks for any input.

[sirwired]

For metal brackets, all the orthodontist has to do is use a tool that squeezes the tie wings together, and the bracket pops right off the cement. It's completely painless.

Ceramic brackets are another story; they have to be forcibly removed from your tooth. Nobody can guess if that'll hurt or not.

Removing the cement should not hurt, but the vibration may annoy you.

[hypocrite opportunist]

Darn, I think I have ceramic on top. Is that what the Damon clear brackets are?

[kellyb]

now i am really scared seeing i have ceramics on both top and bottom.

[sirwired]

now i am really scared seeing i have ceramics on both top and bottom.

You don't need to be terrified... while it is more difficult than metal bracket removal, and sometimes it hurts, it's not like getting a tooth pulled without anesthetic or anything.

[TwistedShelby]

I broke one of my ceramic brackets and so my ortho remove it, it seemed to take ages and really hurt, I am now dreading having them all took off in one go. Just take painkillers and hope for the best. Sorry for putting a downer on it, just think the day after no more braces!!!!

[kellyb]

now i am really scared seeing i have ceramics on both top and bottom.

You don't need to be terrified... while it is more difficult than metal bracket removal, and sometimes it hurts, it's not like getting a tooth pulled without anesthetic or anything.

thanks for the reassurance
i am also guessing that i will be so happy to finally get them off that i won't really be thinking about pain

[hypocrite opportunist]

Good idea with the painkiller. I'm going to pop a few ibuprofin first, and I was also thinking that my ortho might have a numbing agent if things get really painful. When I had two of my ceramic brackets removed at 6 months, it sounded like my teeth were shattering and it was pretty painful.

[ashesgap]

You should remember that at six months your teeth were still moving, which is what made them tender. I've had brackets clipped off frequently, the last one being two weeks ago, and this last one didn't hurt at all. I'm pretty sure...fingers crossed...that removal in a week won't be awful. Pain meds prior to sounds like a good plan.
I'm wondering what we're supposed to do for the hour and a half removal. And what about the smell? I hate the smell of the glue being ground off one tooth, I can't imagine what it'll be like one after another.

[hypocrite opportunist]

You should remember that at six months your teeth were still moving, which is what made them tender. .

Good point, I hadn't considered that. I'm almost inclined to say that the "shattering" sound of the ceramic brackets was more uncomfortable than the actual pulling! And yes, that is going to feel like a LONG hour and a half. I'm also supposed to get my teeth shaped, since I have a a few with sharp edges. Congrats on your debrace date, you must be getting pretty excited...I know I am! I'm just praying my ortho doesn't change her mind upon final inspection.

[ashesgap]

Yep, for me the anticipation of the bracket being clipped is actually worse than the clipping.
I'm going in tomorrow to have her do a minor tweak, which is why we gave it 3 weeks instead of two. I can not wait to have these off. I bit the inside of my cheek two days ago, it's all swollen and now I just keep catching it between the upper and lower brackets. That hasn't happened for months, so of course it would happen twelve days from deband.