Braces are by far the most effective way to straighten teeth. However, getting impatient with the process is understandable, especially if the braces look like they’ll stay on for big moments. Patients might be eager to remove them early, and many patients ask if they can have their brackets removed temporarily.
We strongly advise against having braces removed before treatment is complete.
Why Shouldn’t Dental Braces Be Removed Temporarily?
Braces take time to move your teeth and settle them into their new places before the entire treatment can be declared complete. Removing braces too early when treatment is ongoing can result in relapse. The teeth can move into a different improper position, creating new dental problems and wasting all the time and money we have spent on the treatment so far.
If you want them removed temporarily, you’ll lose a lot of time and money to remove and reinstall your braces. You could experience discomfort from removal and reinstallation of the hardware, lengthen the treatment time, as well as throw off the progress you’ve already made. Once you want them back on, we will have to place a new set of braces on your teeth (they are not reusable!) which will cost you more money.
As a result, you could be compromising your dental health with an incomplete treatment and possibly make your alignment worse than it was before you started!
Alternatives To Conventional Braces May Be Best
If you know a big event is coming up – for instance, a wedding -give yourself lots of time for your treatment and talk to your orthodontist about it. Sometimes there are treatments that can be done that are less obvious than wearing braces. These include lingual braces, Aligners, or ceramic brackets:
- Lingual braces are bonded behind your teeth, making them completely invisible. If you know in advance that your braces will overlap with a big event, this is an excellent option.
- Aligners are made with clear, medical-grade plastic. A patient can pop them out of their mouth for the duration of an event, though no one is likely to notice them in the first place!
- Braces with clear ceramic brackets that match the colour of your teeth are far less visible than stainless steel braces.
These options can make it easy to enjoy your big day without having the worry about the appearance of your teeth or delaying the orthodontic movements to keep you on track to that beautiful smile!
How Can I Speed Up The Process?
You can do a lot to speed up the work of your braces. Maintaining excellent oral hygiene during treatment keeps your teeth and gums healthy. Keeping everything healthy results in faster movements, as well as more comfortable and desirable outcomes. Avoid eating any hard, sticky foods that may damage your braces and delay your treatment. In fact, taking the care to prevent any breakage to your brackets is the best way to keep your treatment time to a minimum. A broken bracket means there’s nothing applying force to your teeth, delaying the timeline for removing braces.
Don’t forget to follow any directions given to you by your orthodontist. Wear any appliances or elastics as prescribed to you during your treatment, and don’t miss your appointments! Following all of these suggestions will definitely result in a speedy orthodontic treatment with the best treatment outcomes.