What to do with poking wires and broken brackets video

At Aura Orthodontics, we know orthodontic emergencies are never convenient or timely. As a rule, you should call the office when you experience severe pain or when you have a painful appliance problem that you cannot take care of yourself.  We’ll be able to schedule an appointment to resolve the problem. If you have an orthodontic emergency after regular office hours, please give us a call. If you are calling us after hours, please follow the message to learn how to contact Dr. Sharma.

Overall, there are usually three common emergencies with braces. Let’s delve into the specifics of each of them with this video and article.

BROKEN BRACKETS

This is, by far, the most common orthodontic emergency. Broken brackets can be caused by moisture contamination from the glue – mostly from your saliva – at the time of bonding. And unfortunately, most broken brackets are caused by eating hard foods or horseplay.

Typically, orthodontists provide patients with a list of foods they shouldn’t eat during treatment. These foods are on this list because they can easily break braces.

What to do if you have a broken bracket:
If a loose bracket is at the back of the mouth – you will want to try to remove the bracket from the wire.

If your loose bracket is in the middle or the front, take a piece of wax from your container, break a little piece off and roll it into a ball. Gently dry the bracket with some cotton, and roll the wax over it so that it does not bother you.

After you have placed the wax – the next thing you should do is identify which tooth it is. Start counting from the tooth at the back. Once you know which one, it is, call our office and let us know. We will determine if you need to come in right away, or if it can wait until your next appointment.

POKING WIRES

Once your teeth begin to straighten out, poking wires may start. This is a good sign since it means that your teeth are moving in the right direction. However, the wire may start to poke out in the back of your mouth and can be quite bothersome.

What to do if you have a poking wire:
First, you should try to use your wax to prevent the wire from poking you. Just like with the broken brackets, you want to first break off a small piece of wax and roll it into a ball. Then, dry the tooth and the bracket with cotton so the wax will stick. Lastly, place the wax over the bracket and wire and roll it over into position. This should stop the poking.

If your poking wire is due to a broken bracket at the back – it will be a very long piece. It may be possible for you to snip the wire with a nail clipper. This should be attempted very carefully so not to break any remaining brackets. If the poking wire persists, call our office and we will make arrangements to see you as soon as we can.

IRRITATED LIPS AND CHEEKS

With all the braces and wires in your mouth – it’s possible that they will irritate your lips and cheeks. Usually, this lasts for a couple of days or so until your mouth gets used to everything being in there.

If you notice that a bracket is irritating your lips or cheeks – you should use your wax to cover the part of the bracket that is bothering you. Again, break off a small piece of wax and roll it into a ball. Then, dry the tooth and the bracket with cotton so that the wax will stick. Lastly, place the wax over the bracket and wire and roll it over into position.

If the irritation persists, please call our office and we will arrange to see you as soon as we can.

We understand that having braces can at times cause a bit of discomfort and we hope this information was helpful. As always, we are here to assist patients. If you have additional questions or concerns, contact our office and we can help to answer them.