The debanding wasn't as bad as I had expected.

Firstly I was terrified -- (partly of the procedure, partly because I worried they weren't ready to come off, and partly that I would feel somehow 'naked' without the hardware!!! mad eh?) 

My ortho first put etchant behind my teeth and then bonded wires behind my upper 4 and lower 6 front teeth. Then he removed my power chains and tried popping off the brackets, the upper ceramics disintigrated when he tried removing them, whereas the lower metals just popped off. Then the molar bands (ouch!) they came off with a crunch that was reminiscent of having extractions (not a nice memory to come flooding back!) They were a bit reluctant, but I heaved a massive sigh of relief when they were off! Then came the scraping and polishing, then the mirror!

I had imagined what my teeth would look like brace free, but nothing could prepare me for that first look in the mirror -- it was like someone else's smile -- surreal! After 23 years of hating my teeth, but seeing the same smile for all that time, then getting used to seeing the braces, I didn't recognise my own teeth!

And here's another strange thing, I was completely conscious of my braces, but obviously no-one else was 'cos hardly anyone noticed my braces were gone!!!

Getting used to the bonded retainers is taking a while, it still feels like there is food stuck behind my teeth and I find I am lisping a bit (and I think I could whistle through the wires!) and my lower teeth tend to bump the bonding material behind my uppers so I don't think I am quite finished yet!