Braces advice from someone who just got done...

We spent this holiday weekend with my brother in law & his fiancee... His fiancee just got her braces off after 3 years 3 months (she was quoted 18 months! This is why I refuse to have a count down!) She now has retainers and her teeth look amazing. I bugged her with braces questions and it was really helpful & I wanted to share some things I learnt so anyone else with the same concerns can read it and be reassured that it's somewhat normal. So here goes: 

Excess glue around brackets: This has been bugging me as it stained right away and makes my teeth look dingy, however apparently it protects your tooth and is actually a good thing. Apparently a lot of dentists/orthos will not remove it as you can get tiny cavities around the brackets. Though fortunately it should wear down over time and some whitening tooth paste should help, but if it's preventing cavities I guess I can live with it...

Ugly gaps as teeth move: The other day I had a gap between my front teeth like that actress in True Blood... However the one that bugs me right now is the black triangle between a slanted tooth and it's partner - now that needs to go. My future sister in law said she experienced that too and now her teeth slot together perfectly. I hope mine do too but if not i'm totally game for IPR... Whatever it takes... Incidentally the gap between my middle front teeth has now shifted one tooth over since my new wire today...  

Stains on teeth previously covered: Supposedly normal and will come off at my next cleaning - roll on August 23rd!

Pain when biting: Normal all the way thought the process even before removal... Grrrrr....