“How do you get rid of stains after braces?”

Once braces are removed, everyone needs a good professional cleaning to remove stains and polish teeth.

Please see your family dentists. Lots of "stains" are decalcification from the teeth, and only your dentist can get rid of them.

There are several ways, but first, see your family dentist for a cleaning and exam to ensure the teeth are healthy and ready to undergo any whitening procedure. The doctor can also examine to ensure all extra cement or composite tabs are removed from the tooth prior to whitening, as leaving it would result in unevenly whitening the tooth. Once cleaned of cement and the teeth are deemed cavity free, the methods of whitening include the following options:

1) utilize OTC whitening toothpaste and mouthwash twice a day until happy with the shade.
2) utilize OTC white strips or whitening gels in non custom trays (be careful of tissue irritation.
3) in-office fabrication of trays for take home whitening using carbamide peroxide. (My preference is this because the dentist will track your progress every 2-3 weeks until your optimal result is achieved.)
4) in-office whitening (this method works great as well, but can have more sensitivity associated with it due to the high concentration of hydrogen peroxide used so I generally would recommend this option for individuals who are on a time constraint and need immediate results).

Start with a really good professional cleaning and then try whitening or bleaching. Otherwise check with your general dentist who may have some other ideas/insights!

You should talk with your general dentist to see what the best options are.