A common question from anyone that wears braces is when they can have them taken off. You don't want to wear braces any longer than necessary, so it will help to know how to tell when your treatment is done and they can be removed once and for all.
Look At Your Overall Alignment
The easiest way to tell if your braces are ready to come off is to look at the overall alignment of your teeth. If you look in the mirror and can tell that there are still some gaps that need to be closed or some teeth that need to be turned in a specific direction a little bit more, then you likely have some time to go.
One thing that you should not base it on is if your teeth are completely flat along the upper or lower jaw. Teeth do have a natural shape to them, and it can be unnatural to have a set of teeth that are completely flat with all their edges lining up. Know that you won't have to wait for this to happen to have your braces removed. Look at the gaps and overall alignment instead.
Look At The Canine Inclusion Position
Your orthodontist is going to look at a few specific things to ensure your teeth are in the right position. One of these is the position of your canine inclusion. This is how your upper canine teeth fit between the lower canine and lower first molars. Even if the teeth look as if they are perfectly aligned and look great, having the canine inclusion position
Since you are likely unable to tell when these teeth are in the proper position, a good way for you to tell at home is if your upper and lower front teeth are in the proper position. Typically, if these teeth are centered so that the middle of the upper-lower teeth are aligned, then your canine inclusion position will be correct.
Look At Your Overbite
Your overbite is how much your top teeth overlap the bottom teeth. If it's too deep or too shallow it is not good. You don't want the teeth to be touching along the top edge, since you actually want an overbite for your molars to align in the back for chewing. A lot of this also has to do with how natural your bite feels when you eat food, since the teeth still may need to be moved to the proper position to give you a proper overbite.
Share28 September 2021
My son was outside playing with some friends when he accidentally fell down and hit his mouth on the sidewalk. The fall knocked out his front tooth, so I immediately placed the tooth in a small jar and added some milk. I rushed my son to the dental clinic and the dentist immediately took us into the examination room. The dentist placed the tooth back into the socket and saved it. My name is Beverly Tillman and thanks to the quick work of the dentist, my son didn't lose his tooth. Since this was a scary time for me and my son, I wanted to write this blog as a source of information for other parents who are facing a dental emergency. First of all, don't panic and get to your dentist as soon as possible. I hope this blog will help to answer your questions about dental emergencies.