Did you break off one of the brackets in your braces? If you’re one of the four million people wearing braces in the USA, then you know how big of a change it is to have a set glued onto your mouth. The change can be too much for people, having them feel pain all the time during the first few days. Others get used to it quicker, though, and often forget they’re wearing them. This leads them to become careless, often resulting in having a broken bracket in their mouths.
If this happened to you, what are you supposed to do?
Read what we have below to know the necessary steps to take when you have broken braces. We’ll also tell you what you can do to prevent this from happening to you.
1. Assess the Damage
The first thing you need to do when you feel that your bracket broke off is to assess the damage that it did to your braces. When a bracket pops off, it often takes other brackets along with it. This is because they’re all linked together by the wire.
It’s a common occurrence for more than one bracket to pop off at a time. If this is the case, check to see if any of them are falling off. Take off any bracket that’s about to fall off and secure it in a small container.
If the wire is strong enough, you’ll only have to deal with floating brackets. They won’t cause any discomfort and will only stay in place until glued back onto the tooth. If the break causes the wires to bend, that’s when you’ll feel pain and irritation.
2. Ease Any Irritation You Feel
In the case of bent and protruding wires, you’ll likely feel them poking at your cheeks or gums. If left alone, they can cause breaks and cuts in the skin. Swelling can occur if this continues.
One way to do this is by using a wire cutter to shorten the remaining wires. Doing this prevents the excess wire from poking at your mouth. You can also use nail clippers if you don’t have wire cutters available.
3. Tuck Away Any Loose Wire
If you’re not comfortable with cutting the wires, you can always bend it. Bend it away from your mouth’s softer parts and towards your teeth if you can. Biting down may feel off when doing this, but it’s better than having metal poke into your mouth.
Using a q-tip dampened in water is good for this. You can also bend it around another secure bracket. Put it underneath to shorten its reach and prevent it from poking you.
If all else fails, putting some gum on the wire can help you with the pain. Choose sugar-free gum to prevent your teeth from overt sugar exposure. Orthodontic wax is also a good choice and is better for sticking to your wires.
4. Schedule an Appointment
Now that you have the discomfort under control, it’s time to schedule an appointment. There’s no way for you to stick the brackets on yourself unless you’re a trained professional. You don’t have the proper equipment on hand to treat your broken braces.
Try to get one as soon as possible. It’s important that you get the brackets back in place as soon as you can. This is so that you reduce the number of days you spend in discomfort.
Doing this also prevents your teeth from shifting back to their original positions before you had braces. If they do, it means that you have to wear the braces longer than you’re supposed to be wearing them for.
5. Maintain Good Oral Hygiene
Now that you’ve set an appointment with your orthodontist, you must take care of your mouth before the appointment. This is important because you may get cuts and other breaks on your mouth.
Keep your mouth as clean as possible ensures that none of these get infected before your appointment. A good way to do this is by gargling warm salt water often. The salt cleanses any wound inside your mouth, preventing some infections, but also gives you a small stinging sensation when you do this.
Antiseptic rinses are also a good option. These are different from traditional mouthwashes, so it’s best to check first before gargling. It’s also important to note that your antiseptic wash must be for oral use, too.
You should also remove any chunks of food you have in your mouth. If left alone, these can produce their own bacteria and infect any sores you have. Brushing is often enough, but flossing your teeth ensures you get all food particles out.
How to Take Care of Your Braces
If you want to prevent your brackets from breaking off in the first place, you must learn how to take care of your braces. The best thing you can do for this is choosing the right toothbrush. Go for ones with thin bristles to ensure you get everything out of your teeth when brushing.
It’s also best to get yourself some soft bristles when choosing a toothbrush. Hard bristles can cause your gums to bleed and your brackets to break. This is because of the strain the brackets endure when these brush against them.
You should also remember that there are foods you can’t eat with braces on. This is the primary reason for people to have their brackets broken off. Remembering what you can and can’t eat will help you a lot in keeping your braces in shape.
Take These Steps and Fix a Broken Bracket Today
A broken bracket can cause severe discomfort and pain to the wearer. It’s an experience you should never have to endure. So, follow these steps and get the bracket fixed soon!
Do you need assistance with your braces? Orthodontic services are tough to come by if you don’t know where to look or if you don’t have an appointment set. Contact us here and set an appointment at your earliest convenience today!