A broken braces bracket can be a source of frustration and concern. With metal brackets and wires constantly in your mouth, it’s only natural not to want anything to disrupt your progress towards your perfect smile. What if your brace’s bracket breaks or you get a loose wire? What can you do when this happens? This post will explore the causes and how to avoid its occurrence. We’ll discuss the risks and consequences and how to know if your braces are broken to keep you aware. We’ll also provide key prevention tips and answer common queries about broken brackets to help you prepare what to do when your brace’s brackets break.
What Causes a Broken Braces Bracket?
It is natural to experience mishaps while wearing braces. However, understanding the causes of broken brackets helps you avoid them. Here are some causes why the bracket broke:
- Eating hard or sticky foods like popcorn, nuts, chewy candies, or ice.
- Brushing your teeth with too much force
- Teeth grinding or putting too much pressure on braces
- Mouth injury while playing contact sports or physical activity
- A deep bite causes the top teeth to bite down the lower brackets
Risks and Consequences
A broken braces bracket can be a major inconvenience to the patient and their orthodontist. Not only is there the potential for prolonged discomfort until the issue has been resolved, but it can also impact your orthodontic treatment progress and result in improper teeth movement or needing to wear your braces longer.
When a braces bracket breaks off or becomes loose, there is a risk that the tooth may shift back into the position it was in before treatment. It could lead to a longer process for completing treatment and require further orthodontic work after completion.
In addition, there is a potential risk of pain or discomfort associated with the broken bracket. It can be quite uncomfortable as it irritates the inside of your mouth.
How to know if your braces are broken?
To tell if your braces are damaged or broken, look for these signs and symptoms:
– Loose brackets on the teeth, either with attached wires or fallen off.
– Pain in the mouth from a bracket that has shifted or become loose.
– Irritation of the gums around the affected bracket
– Difficulty opening and closing the mouth.
– Difficulty eating certain foods due to a bracket that has shifted or moved out of place.
What to do if you break a braces bracket?
If you break a braces bracket, it is important to contact your orthodontist immediately. In the meantime, you can apply quick fixes like a pea sized amount of orthodontic wax. An orthodontic wax helps reduce any discomfort in the affected area. Taking care of potential sores or cuts due to broken brackets is also important and can be done a few ways, such as rinsing with salt water or an antiseptic rinse and applying numbing gel to your mouth or gums with a cotton swab.
When the bracket pops, there’s a chance that wire breaks. You can cut broken wires with nail clippers. It works best with a small archwire. If you can’t cut the broken wire, use orthodontic wax over the protruding wires to keep it from poking your mouth.
What to Expect During a Repair Appointment?
You cannot fix broken braces on your own. You need to visit an orthodontist office for a new bracket. The repair appointment is quick and simple that usually takes 5-10 minutes:
- The bracket is removed from the arch wire and is to be cleaned and sanitised.
- The tooth surface will be polished, ensuring that there will be no bracket adhesive left.
- The tooth will be prepared for bonding.
- The bracket is bonded to the tooth.
- The arch wire is placed back.
Prevention and Maintenance Tips
While broken brackets can be frustrating, some practical tips and strategies can help prevent broken brackets. Here are some recommendations to keep your braces brackets intact:
- Avoid eating hard or sticky foods
- Practice good oral hygiene
- Use a toothbrush with soft bristles
- Do not bite pencil, eraser or any hard objects
- Wear a mouthguard when you play contact sports
Broken Bracket Common Queries
Will braces still work with a broken bracket?
Yes, braces still work with a broken bracket, just not on the tooth without the bracket. While it is important to notify your orthodontist if a bracket breaks, the braces should continue to be effective even with one or more broken brackets.
How long can I keep a broken bracket?
If the broken brackets do not cause discomfort, you can wait days or weeks. It doesn’t negatively impact your treatment. But contact your orthodontist immediately if you experience severe discomfort. A brace’s broken bracket is not a dental emergency. You can use orthodontic wax or sugar-free gum to alleviate discomfort while waiting for an appointment.
Is it okay to eat with a broken bracket?
It is recommended to have the broken braces fixed as soon as possible. But you can still eat with it. Just avoid to eat hard foods that could make it worse – stick to soft foods.
Should I brush my teeth with a broken bracket?
Yes, it is important to continue to brush your teeth and thoroughly floss around the area of the broken bracket. It will keep healthy teeth while waiting for your orthodontist’s next appointment.
Will my orthodontist be mad if I break a bracket?
No, your orthodontist should not be mad if you break a bracket. Brackets can become loose or even break during normal wear and tear. Contact your orthodontist immediately to ensure that the treatment process is not affected.
How common is breaking bracket braces?
Breaking bracket braces can happen anytime during treatment, but it isn’t uncommon. Your orthodontist can best assess your case and advise you on what to do if and when a bracket breaks. It is important to keep all regular appointments and follow any instructions given by your orthodontist to reduce the risk of breaking brackets throughout treatment.
In Summary
Breaking a braces’ bracket can be a major inconvenience for the patient and the orthodontist. It is important to contact your orthodontist right away if it happens to minimise any negative impacts on treatment progress. While you wait for an appointment, you can use orthodontic wax or sugarless gum to alleviate any discomfort associated with the broken bracket. It is also important to continue to practise good oral hygiene and avoid foods that can worsen the situation. With proper care, broken brackets can be fixed quickly without causing any further disruption to your treatment plan.
