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When wearing braces, anything could happen! You will be wearing them in your mouth for a couple of years, after all—many things can go wrong during that time. Very rarely do braces break, but they do happen, either because of eating the wrong foods, sustaining a mouth injury, or due to day-to-day activities.
If your braces break, remember to follow the steps below to avoid further mishaps.
Assess the Damage
It’s pretty easy to tell when something is wrong with your braces, but it’s not enough to know that your braces are broken—you have to figure out what part or area suffered damage. Your dentist will want to know the details, so you should inspect the damage before anything else!
When a bracket falls off, it’s most often not just one—it most probably has taken other brackets along, as they are all linked together with a wire. Take off any floating brackets and place them in a small container so as not to get misplaced!
Relieve Yourself of Discomfort
Not all brackets are easy to take off. If the wire is too strong, you will have to endure having floating brackets. They usually don’t cause any discomfort, but you will feel some pain if the wires begin to bend.
Broken and protruding wires are painful since they can be sharp. You may feel them poking at your cheeks and gums, causing irritation or pain! If not taken care of immediately, it could make some cuts and breaks in the skin, eventually leading to swelling.
To ease the irritation you feel, you can use tweezers to bend the bracket or wire into a more comfortable position. If you want to cut the wire, then you can shorten them by using a wire cutter or nail clippers. That way, you won’t have to put up with any pain while waiting for your appointment with your dentist.
Schedule an Appointment
The cutting or bending you performed are only temporary solutions—you need to get your braces looked at professionally to repair the damage. If you fail to get your braces checked, your teeth might shift back to their original positions—or worse, their positioning can even get worse than before! You’ll have to wear your braces longer than you have to when that happens.
Set an appointment with the dentist immediately, even if you’re not experiencing much discomfort and the break isn’t interfering with your treatment. The dentist will assess whether you need to replace the broken brackets or wires or simply repair them.
Take Care of Your Mouth
Now that you have booked an appointment with your dentist, you have to protect your mouth from getting additional cuts and breaks until then.
While waiting for the appointment date to arrive, watch what you eat and keep your mouth clean. Stay away from hard, crunchy foods for now and stick to soft foods instead, such as soft boiled eggs, yogurt, and soft bread, to avoid further damage.
When cleaning your mouth, rinse with salt water or an antiseptic rinse to cleanse any wound and prevent any infection. Remove all food particles stuck between your teeth by flossing and brush well afterward so that bacteria won’t grow.
Conclusion
Broken brackets, wires, spacers, and bands are relatively common—many people encounter this problem throughout their time of wearing braces. When this happens to you, make sure to keep a clear mind and to act accordingly. As long as you stay positive and follow our guide, you can achieve your ideal smile without problems or delays.
Have your braces suffered some damage? Leave the problem to the best dentists in Ypsilanti to take care of it right away! Our emergency dentists at the Dental House MI can help you with your broken braces and other dental emergencies. Book your appointment today!
