I've had braces for 3 yrs. My dentist went out of practice a yr ago and since my parents still owed him 1,000 he wouldn't transfer me to another dentist or take my braces off. Last night I got tired of it and took them off myself. They were messin my gums up bad. Is there any way I can take the glue off at home?

Not if you care about your teeth... go get a cleaning from a hygienist, it's not that expensive, and she/he is qualified to scale that stuff off and polish up your chompers

Hi, amanda_souders!

What would be the problem with you simply going to another dentist on your own without your records being transferred?

Thanks!

As the others have mentioned, get in to see another dentist and hygienist. This way you can be sure that you didn't already do damage to your teeth while removing the braces at home. It's a good idea to start with a professional cleaning anyway because many kids aren't super-careful about their dental routine while wearing braces.

As Amir said, it shouldn't be too expensive and you'll avoid damaging your enamel.

WOW- removed your own braces... :eek:

I'm curious... how did you get them off yourself??

I was just thinking the same thing, did you damage anything when taking them off?

I also want to remove my brackets.. would it be OK if I go another dentist and ask to take it off?

chailen,

If you want your brackets removed, ask your orthodontist to remove them. If your ortho is not complete and you still want them removed he/she may have you sign a release saying it was YOUR request to have them removed. You will need retainers made to keep your teeth in the position they are now and the cost of the retainers should have been included in the fee your orthodontist has charged.

With that being said, yes, another dentist can remove your brackets if he has the right instrument. You will be charged for it and retainers.

If you don't want your teeth to move back to the position they were before your ortho you definitely want to have retainers.

I just took my braces off lastnite, my mom made me get them practically for no reason and I got sick of it. Its fully paid and all but I couldn't take it, there is a bit of glue left on my teeth but Im sure it'll come off with the way I care for my teeth. Your not the only one Amanda lol

I can't sustain the fee anymore, and my teeth are already in passable alignment. So I decided to take my braces off by myself. First, I watched YouTube videos of how dentists remove it. I also read an eHow article on removing the wire. I used hair tweezers to pull the wire slowly from end to end. Then I used pedicure pliers to gently twist the braces, ungluing each of them without pain. Of course, there is cement left on my teeth, but another eHow article pointed out that a mixture of baking soda and drops of hydrogen pexoride can be used in brushing teeth to soften the cement, and completely remove it in time.

I'm sharing this to people looking for options. Just make sure that the tweezers and pedicure pliers you use are rust-free, and sterilized clean with hot water. You may also pre-brush your teeth with baking soda and hydrogen peroxide mixture before the process, so the cement is softer. Please do your own research, and do it with care.

Why is anyone surprised she took them off herself? People do that ALL the time. And its super easy. It doesn't hurt or anything. And you can't damage your teeth, the dentists take it off the SAME WAY, just with a different tool.