Steer clear of hard bread, popcorn, hard candies, and raw vegetables until your teeth feel normal again. If you have puffy gums, the puffiness should resolve within about 2 months of having braces removed. If your orthodontist has fitted you for a retainer, be sure to wear it as directed.
Wearing a retainer after getting your braces is ABSOLUTELY CRUCIAL. Only by wearing your retainer will you be able to keep your new smile forever, your teeth need time to get used to their new positions otherwise they will shift back to how they used to be. The retainer helps your teeth RETAIN their position.
When you get your braces off, your orthodontist has to use some force to get the braces and glue out of your mouth, leaving your teeth and gums a bit tender. So while you are free to eat what you please now, stay away from hard foods for a few days after the removal of your braces.
After five days to a week, any initial discomfort associated with the braces should be gone or much improved. The teeth will have gradually acclimated to the braces, and eating should be much easier.
Braces address bite issues by repositioning teeth and jaws to correct alignment. As your teeth move into the correct position, your jawline and lips will follow suit. In time, you should be able to close your mouth, and your face will have a more natural, esthetically pleasing appearance.
Lips will not become thinner, but they may appear thinner as the braces are removed. According to the type of braces your orthodontist used, the changes may or may not be pronounced. So, don't worry about getting any direct effects on the size of your lips.
Settling – Your teeth might settle. Without the brackets and wires there to keep them in place, and even if you are wearing your retainer diligently, your teeth might still move. Don't worry, they're just settling and this is a normal and predicted part of getting your braces off. It's always for the better!
Flared teeth after braces usually occur because the patient doesn't wear their retainer properly. Essentially, flared teeth happen because the teeth don't have enough room to shift from side to side, so they shift upward and outward instead.
Following the removal of your braces, your teeth will need a thorough cleaning. That's because braces tend to trap plaque and food in your teeth. Your orthodontist will also polish your teeth with a hard grinder, removing any residue of the adhesive used to fix your brackets to your teeth.
Braces and Invisalign do not cause teeth to become weaker, looser, or fall out in healthy people. Braces can be a good option for those with poor periodontal health. Excessive force in orthodontic treatment with Invisalign or braces can cause severe damage to the root and pulp of teeth as well as the supporting bones.
Bonded retainers
The glue that bonds the wire can wear out with the everyday activity your mouth experiences—eating, talking, brushing and flossing. A bonded retainer on your upper teeth may last up to three years, while a lower bonded retainer will last longer, as this part of the mouth doesn't see as much activity.
This process is called a mesial drift, meaning your pearly whites are always on the move. Your retainers will help prevent this from happening as you age. To maintain a straight smile for a lifetime, you're going to need to wear your retainers nightly for the rest of your life.
We'll have your retainers made as soon as possible so they're ready for you to collect within the next day or two. If it's any longer, your teeth are at risk of moving. Pick up your retainers as soon as possible and start wearing them full-time (unless you're eating, drinking or brushing your teeth).
Provided proper dental hygiene is practiced, the spots will not get bigger. However, without treatment, stained teeth after braces won't disappear, although they will gradually fade.
If you're wearing traditional braces with a bracket and wire system, you may notice that your lips appear to be larger. Your teeth and lips' increased width are to blame for this. Lips don't get bigger, but they can't rest as much against your teeth as they normally would until your braces are taken off.
If you don't brush properly, you may end up with white spots around your brackets. These are caused by enamel demineralization, which happens when acid eats away at the minerals on your teeth. These can be reversed with fluoride treatments and teeth whitening.
It depends. Using braces or Invisalign to adjust the alignment of your teeth means that the soft tissues laying over them — like your cheeks and lips — will conform to the new alignment of your bite. That's why a person's face sometimes looks “sunken in” when they lose teeth.
Does orthodontic treatment change your lips? Yes, you may notice your lips look different after getting braces and other forms of orthodontic treatment. This is because the prominence or “fullness” of the lips is directly affected by the forward position and alignment of the front teeth.
Can braces change your face shape? Yes, braces can change your jawline, your chin, the shape of your mouth, and even your lips. However, these effects are secondary to the actual reforming of your teeth and bite. Braces can tighten your jawline and your teeth, but this happens over time and imperceptibly.
Generally speaking, as the braces are on the back of the teeth, it can impact your ability to say the letter “s”. This can result in a temporary lisp. It's important to understand that this isn't permanent! So don't panic, you will soon learn to adjust to your new braces.
“Yes, your overbite can return even after wearing braces or aligners," Oleg Drut, DDS, an orthodontist and founder of Diamond Braces, tells WebMD Connect to Care.