Broken brackets and pokey wires happen more often than you’d think and almost always happen at the most inconvenient times (we’re looking at you, road trip). If your child’s bracket pops loose, or a wire breaks or pops out of the bracket, it can be a stressful and uncomfortable experience. However, the good news is that most minor orthodontic issues can be easily managed at home until you can visit the office. A little orthodontic wax can be your best friend until you can get in to see us, and clipping a rogue wire with clean nail clippers might just save the day.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through what to do when a bracket breaks or a wire comes loose, so you can handle the situation like a pro and keep your child comfortable through it all.
How Brace Brackets and Wires Work
When everything is working as designed, the braces have a low profile over the teeth and don’t interfere with normal chewing, swallowing, or speaking. Aside from temporary soreness, the most common cause of pain during orthodontic treatment is when something breaks. The good news is that it doesn’t happen very often, especially with some basic precautions in place.
Orthodontic adhesives are specially made to bond the metal brackets to the enamel surface of your teeth. The special dental glue is strong enough to hold the brackets in place in the long term but weak enough to come off without too much hassle at the end of the treatment period. Most of the time, it works out just fine, but sometimes brackets can break loose before they’re supposed to. If that happens, the broken bracket or wire can rub or poke against the cheeks, lips, or gums, creating discomfort, irritation, or even sores.
The most common causes of breakage are eating hard or sticky foods (such as popcorn, nuts, ice, or hard candies), brushing too hard, grinding or clenching your teeth, chewing on hard non-food items, or blunt force to the mouth. The best way to prevent broken brackets or wires is to avoid foods that are risky to your teeth and protect your teeth when playing sports or engaging in other high-impact activities.
What to Do About a Broken Bracket or Wire on Braces
First things first, don’t panic! Braces work by applying pressure to multiple teeth simultaneously over an extended period of time. A single, disconnected bracket is unlikely to have a significant impact on your child’s treatment, especially if it’s addressed relatively soon.
If a damaged bracket or wire isn’t causing any pain or injury, you might even be able to let it ride until your next scheduled orthodontic visit. The first step is to call your orthodontist, who can provide proper guidance and schedule an appointment to correct the issue. In the meantime, here’s how you can handle some common breakages at home.
Wax: Regardless of how quickly you can get into the orthodontist, a little bit of wax can help protect you while you wait. Roll a pea-sized amount of orthodontic wax into a ball and press it over the broken bracket or wire, then flatten it until you have a smooth surface. It isn’t a permanent solution, but it can prevent scrapes, cuts, and pokes until you can address the issue.
Adjust it yourself: Sometimes you can make minor adjustments at home that can hold you over until you can get a permanent fix. If a loose bracket is in an unfavorable position, you can use tweezers to slide it back into place. The same goes for a broken wire poking into the cheeks or gums. Nail clippers can also be used to clip a broken archwire so it doesn’t stick out so much. Use a tissue to catch the snipped bits so they don’t get swallowed. Make sure to clean and sterilize any tools before placing them in your mouth.
Dealing with cuts, scrapes, and sores: With all that metal in your mouth, it’s not uncommon to get a sore or two every now and then. Fortunately, mouth sores usually heal pretty quickly without any intervention. Use wax to create a protective barrier and prevent further injury. You can also use antiseptic or antibacterial mouthwash, or saltwater rinses to keep sores clean and help them heal.
Brushing and flossing: You may need to exercise additional caution when cleaning around the affected area, but it’s important to continue brushing and flossing, even if you have broken brackets or wires.
Repair appointments: At-home fixes can hold you over for a few days, but broken brackets and wires will require permanent repair. The good news is that repair appointments are usually pretty quick. Usually, the arch wire is removed and the broken components cleaned. The tooth surface is then prepared, the bracket or brackets rebonded, and the wire replaced. The entire process typically takes around 10 minutes.
If your child accidentally detaches a bracket or breaks a wire, remember that it’s not the end of the world. These things are a common part of having braces, have minimal impact on your overall treatment, and are usually easy to fix. Encourage them to be careful when possible and remember that the team at Wee Care is here to help if and when a broken bracket or wire occurs.
