I previously received orthodontic treatment and there are still small metal brackets on my lower teeth. I want to have teeth whitening done. In this case, can the whitening procedure be applied? Do the current brackets affect the whitening result, and do they need to be removed before the procedure?
Answers (1)
From our board-certified dentists and trusted medical professionals
Eda T.
Dentist
Answered on Jun 24, 2026
ANSWER
First, it needs to be evaluated whether our patient's orthodontic treatment has been completed.
If the orthodontic treatment has been completed, teeth whitening can be safely applied after the brackets are removed. If whitening is performed without removing the brackets, color differences may occur in those areas because the regions covered by the brackets will not come into contact with the whitening agent.
However, if the current brackets are located on the inner (lingual) surfaces of the teeth, the whitening procedure can be applied directly since they will not affect the visible front surfaces.
Therefore, in order to determine the most appropriate treatment plan, the position of the brackets and the current status of the orthodontic treatment must be evaluated with a clinical examination.