Braces are a great investment, but they are also a big responsibility. They require a lot of care and maintenance to do the important work of realigning your teeth. They are incredibly durable, but like everything else, braces can break if put under too much stress. While inconvenient, breaking your orthodontic appliance is not a disaster. Read on to learn what you can do if your wirework get damaged.
How Can My Braces Break?
In both ceramic and metal braces, the brackets cemented to the teeth can fall off if they come loose or receive a great impact during contact sports or another accident. They can even sustain damage if you eat the wrong foods. When this happens, the bracket can pull the wire with it. The wire itself can also loosen or break. In any case, breaking can release or alter the tension braces use to correct the smile. Without repairs, this can throw off the course of the whole treatment. The breaking of braces can also expose sharp metal components like a wire poking out into the mouth. This can cause irritation, sores, or small cuts in the lips and cheeks.
What Should I Do When It Happens?
When your braces break, immediately call your orthodontist to schedule an appointment for repairs. Until then, take care not to put undue stress on them.
You should always avoid hard or chewy foods while wearing braces. This becomes even more important when they are broken as they can make the problem even worse. Hard foods can bend and warp the orthodontic structure further while chewy foods can pull the already-compromised pieces out of place. Remember to skip foods like:
- Fibrous fruits and vegetables like carrots and apples.
- Sweets like gummies, gum, caramel, and hard candy.
- Crunchy snacks like pretzels and nuts.
- Popcorn and corn-on-the-cob.
- Hard, crusty, or chewy bread.
- Jerky.
- Ice (Chewing ice is always bad for your teeth anyway).
Rinse the mouth as needed throughout the day with warm salt water to help heal cuts and sores and prevent infection. Add half a teaspoon of table salt to a cup of warm water. Swish it for thirty to sixty seconds like mouthwash.
Don’t try to repair the braces yourself. Superglue and other generally available adhesives do not belong in the mouth and can be poisonous. They can also damage teeth. Quite often, patients can be seen the same or next day anyway, so there’s no reason to even try. Bring any broken pieces with you to the appointment.
Prevention is the best medicine. Everyone with braces should follow the dietary guidelines by avoiding crunchy, chewy, and sugary foods while taking care to keep their mouths out of potentially traumatic situations, like by wearing a mouthguard when playing sports. If something does happen, know that there is an expert who is ready to help you right away… you just need to call them!
About the Author
Dr. James A. Hart has been providing orthodontic care of the highest quality since 1978. He was in the top 10% of his class when he earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery from Baylor College of Dentistry before completing his orthodontic residency at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, graduating at the top of his class. His practice offers services including traditional and clear braces, pediatric and adult care, and orthognathic surgery. If you are concerned about broken braces, contact him online or dial (817) 645-2432.