WESTU

A brace came off. What do I do now?

February 16th, 2023

When a patient is undergoing orthodontic treatment, unforeseen events occur, such as a bracket falling off or becoming detached, and having a wire (archwire) that pinches or bothers. This can cause cuts and abrasions inside the mouth.

This type of situation should not happen if the advice given to each person when in consultation is put into practice. However, there are those who think it is impossible for it to happen if they eat hard, crunchy or sticky foods. Then, they realize how true the advice they had to put into practice is.

If this happens to them, they should be calm and patient. The first thing to do is to carefully remove the brackets from the appliance and store them in a safe place to prevent them from becoming deformed (and take them to the appointment). However, sometimes the brackets are held to the wire by the elastic.

And if the wire is bothersome, place some dental wax to prevent abuse or to alleviate and minimize chafing. Remember that if quick action is not taken, cold sores can occur on the cheek or gum.

In these situations you may wonder if it is an emergency or if you should wait until your next visit to the specialist.

Dr. Anna Salas always advises you to call the office immediately and notify them of what has happened so that they can reschedule your appointment as soon as possible. Waiting longer than usual could cause, in addition to discomfort, unwanted movement of the teeth that can lengthen the treatment time.

It should be noted that the braces are strongly adhered to the teeth but even so, biting on a hard or sticky food or object can cause the braces to detach or the arch to deform or come off.

However, NEVER EVER EVER EVER EVER try to stick your braces with any strong glue as they contain dangerous substances and can damage the tooth or the molar.

We work to create smiles and we care about yours!