Removal Process
So a couple readers who have been following my orthodontist saga for the past year and a half asked me to describe the braces removal process. Even though I had braces as a teen, I didn’t remember anything about how the braces came off, so prior to my appointment, I just read a few other stories online. It seemed that most other people thought the ordeal was uncomfortable and time-consuming, so I mentally prepared myself for a couple hours in the chair.
But it didn’t turn out that way at all. My orthodontist worked very quickly and efficiently, cutting wires and removing brackets at lightening speed. It only took about 10 minutes to get all that stuff off.
The next step — that of removing my molar bands — was a bit more uncomfortable, however. They had been on for a year and a half, and were actually pretty tight. So not only did the ortho really have to wrench on the bands to get them to come off, but they also made this horrid cracking sound in the process. I seriously thought my teeth were breaking!!
Once that was over, the ortho switched over to some air tools (like a grinder, vacuum, and polisher) to remove the remnants of the bonding agent and to polish things up. Aside from a god-awful smell of burning enamel and a bit of pain caused by cold water hitting my sensitive teeth, this part wasn’t all that bad either.
On the whole, I was in the chair for about 45 minutes and experienced only a little bit of discomfort and pain along the way. The results were worth it, though, as I couldn’t wait to get out of those braces!!