Man, the first time I saw my teeth after braces, I legit thought something went wrong. Like, “Did they swap my teeth with someone else’s leftovers?” All those white spots and that weird chalky look—definitely not the Hollywood smile I was promised in all those orthodontist pamphlets. I totally relate to what you said about patience. It took a while for my teeth to stop looking like they’d been through a sandstorm.
What helped me was switching to a toothpaste for sensitive teeth (my gums were kind of mad at me) and just brushing gently but consistently. A friend swore by those whitening strips, but honestly, my dentist told me to chill on those for a bit. The weird spots faded after a couple months, and now my teeth are… not quite movie-star level, but at least I’m not embarrassed to show them.
Funny thing is, I spent years thinking braces would be a magic fix. Turns out, teeth—like everything else—need a minute to catch their breath.
Funny thing is, I spent years thinking braces would be a magic fix. Turns out, teeth—like everything else—need a minute to catch their breath.
Man, I remember thinking my teeth would look like I’d just walked out of a toothpaste commercial. Instead, I got “chalky chic” for a while. Did anyone else get those weird grooves where the brackets were? Took me months to stop running my tongue over them.
Instead, I got “chalky chic” for a while. Did anyone else get those weird grooves where the brackets were?
Totally relate to the “chalky chic”—my teeth were way more sensitive after the braces came off, and I swear it felt like every little ridge was magnified. Took me ages to stop noticing them. Did your dentist say anything about remineralizing those spots, or did they just fade on their own? I sometimes wonder if I should’ve done more for those marks.
I actually asked my dentist about those white spots and he said they’d probably fade, but honestly, some never really disappeared. He suggested a fluoride gel but I skipped it since it was extra out of pocket. Didn’t see a huge difference just waiting it out, though.
Same here, I noticed those white spots too and honestly, they didn’t just vanish for me either. My dentist also mentioned the fluoride gel but it was a bit pricey, so I skipped it. What I did instead was make sure to brush gently with a soft toothbrush and used a remineralizing toothpaste. It helped a little, but some spots stuck around. I guess unless you want to spend more, it’s just about managing expectations... The straight teeth are nice, but yeah, not quite as “perfect” as I pictured.
