Wearing braces requires a bit more care and attention than maintaining your bare teeth. If you happen to break the bracket or wire on your braces, instead of panicking take action. Broken or damaged braces can be painful and even prevent your teeth from aligning properly. Weston Dental Office has some tips to help you fix your braces temporarily until you have time to come into our office for a full repair.

Quick Fixes for Broken Braces

Protruding Wire

The nature of braces often causes the teeth to shift and move. Sometimes this can make the wire protrude from the last bracket. In these instances, simply trim the ends with a nail clipper or cover the sharp end with dental wax. This short fix will hold until you can visit your dentist for a wire replacement.

Broken Wire

Braces wiring is made to withstand a varied amount of flexing but it can still break on occasion. Broken wires can poke your gums, cheeks or tongue which can lead to infection. A quick at-home fix for a broken arch wire is simple. Use a pair of nail clippers to trim the edge of the broken wire and use tweezers to move the pointed end away from soft tissues. Call your dentist office to set up a time to replace your wire right away.

Floating Brackets

Brackets are attached to each tooth using special dental glue. Although this adhesive is formulated to be very strong, the bracket may become dislodged at some point. If you have a bracket that has separated from the tooth but is still attached to the wire then we have a quick fix for you. Take a pair of sterilized tweezers and slide the floating bracket to the center of the tooth or to an area between two teeth. Make sure to keep the bracket facing the right direction and cover the unit with dental wax. Make an appointment to have the bracket repaired as soon as possible to prevent additional damage.

Why Do Orthodontics Break?

Braces are made to last but there are a few things that can cause them to break aside from normal wear and tear. Most of the time, hard or crunchy food is the cause of breakages. Always avoid the list of foods your dentist has given you that can harm your orthodontics. Direct trauma to the mouth such as those encountered while playing sports can also cause breaks. When you play sports or any outdoor activity, make sure to wear a mouth guard to protect your braces and your teeth. Food often gets stuck in the most awkward places when you have braces, but using a toothpick can often result in bent or broken pieces on your orthodontics.

Healing Sores and Cuts

People who wear braces commonly suffer from cuts and ulcers in their mouth. These usually heal quickly, but if braces are irritating the area then it can end up extending the healing time. Dental wax is a clever way to offer a buffer between the mouth and the braces while they are healing. Using a rinse of warm salt water is another way to soothe ulcers and cuts in the mouth.

How We Can Help

Damaged braces are never fun, but thankfully Weston Dental Office is always on call to help. Our compassionate orthodontist is standing by to offer advice, repairs, and any other oral health service you may need. Give our office a call at (416) 247-1928 to schedule an appointment today!