Handling Broken Braces: What to Do If You Lose a Bracket

1. Handling Broken Braces: Handling Broken Braces: What to Do If You Lose a Bracket What to Do If You Lose a Bracket Handling broken braces or loose bracket relies on the type of situation at that time. It is a frequent trouble faced by patients who wear natural braces. If your braces have come loose, you do not have to worry as it can be solved in much less time than you think. How do these braces become loose? Let’s find out: Why Do Braces Become Loose? There are a number of reasons which can render the braces/ bracket loose. The brackets and wires used in braces are delicate and can be loosened for any number of reasons. The most common of them are:  Eating hard, chewy or sticky food  Biting fingernails, end of pens or pencils  Chewing ice cubes  A significant change in the way you bite, because of the constant together movement of the teeth  Injury to the mouth  Weak link between the tooth and bracket. The Best Way To Handling Broken Braces? When you see that one or more of your braces have become loose, what you should do is: Call your dentist You need to call your orthodontist right away. If you are soon to see him for an archwire change, your dentist might suggest you wait until that scheduled appointment. But, if there is no appointment coming up in the near future, you will be advised to get yourself the earliest appointment possible so that your braces can be re-cemented.

2. You should inform your dentist up front so that they can prepare for you in advance and use up the extra time. Anything loose or floating in your mouth tends to put you at a possible risk of choking or swallowing. The bracket of braces basically floats on the wire when it becomes loose which can cause it to set yourself or slide in such a way which can cause you discomfort. If the bracket is rubbing against the gum, use the orthodontic wax that they may have given you for this purpose. If that wax is unavailable, use a piece of sugar-free gum. There is a small rubber elastic that surrounds the bracket. If that has come off, you need to remove it carefully from the wire. You will need to use a clean pair of tweezers. Seek somebody’s help to hold the bracket with the tweezers and use the nails of other hands to hold the bracket while it comes off the wire. When the bracket has lost the elastic, the risk of it falling in your mouth rapidly increases. If you are not comfortable with someone else doing it for you, contact your orthodontist and get yourself an urgent appointment. It is wise that you take care of your orthodontic emergency as soon as possible, which ensures that your treatment is not disturbed and stays on track. The teeth stop moving when the bracket becomes loose and it can set back your treatment by months. Those teeth may need time to catch up with the others around it. It is wise to get the problem solved as soon as possible by your dentist to prevent yourself from further discomfort. Your orthodontist may be the only person able to relieve you of the discomfort.