Traditional braces are a great option for straightening the teeth of preteens, teenagers, and adults. Unfortunately, sometimes the brackets come loose or break off the tooth entirely. This is a common problem and completely repairable once you visit our Orthodontist Dr. Natalia Valderrama,  in Viera/ Melbourne.

Reasons Brackets Come Loose or Break

There are two primary reasons why brackets break. The first reason is that you are eating a lot of hard or sticky foods that really should not be eaten while wearing braces. These foods include nuts, tough meats, raw vegetables and chewy and/or hard candies. The second reason is that the dental cement used to bond your braces has worn out over time.

Steps to Take When Your Bracket Breaks

Almost everyone who wears any type of braces experiences a broken bracket at some point during the treatment process. Thankfully, there are steps you can take to make your broken bracket more comfortable while you wait for your orthodontic appointment.

1. Identify the bracket that has broken.

When you feel a bracket come loose, it’s best to get a mirror to view the bracket. This will tell you if the bracket has simply come loose or completely come off the tooth, and it will allow you to see if the wire is bent or broken. You should also check to see if the bracket has completely come loose from the wire. If it has, it may not be safe to leave the bracket in your mouth, even if you use dental wax. This is because it could fall completely off the tooth again, and you might accidentally swallow it. If you notice the bracket is completely off your tooth and off the wire, you should remove the bracket from your mouth and store it in a container until you visit our orthodontist in Melbourne.

2. Place some orthodontic wax over the bracket.

Once you have identified the bracket, place a little orthodontic wax over it to prevent the bracket from rubbing against the inside of your mouth. This will help lower the discomfort and prevent sores and cuts on your cheeks and tongue. If the wire has also broken, you can place orthodontic wax over the broken parts of the wire as well.

3. Move the wire to prevent discomfort.

If the wire is merely bent, you can use the tip of a pencil eraser to move the wire to a more comfortable position while you wait for your urgent orthodontic appointment to get your braces repaired.

4. Schedule an appointment with our orthodontist, Dr. Natalia Valderrama in Melbourne

Once you realize your bracket and/or wire has broken, you should schedule an appointment with our orthodontist in Viera/Melbourne to have it repaired. Broken braces can affect your treatment time if they are not repaired promptly.

Getting Help with Broken Brackets

Dr. Valderrama and her wonderful team can repair your broken brackets and wires by examining the tooth, wire and bracket and reattaching a new bracket. If your wire is significantly bent, we can also straighten the wire or replace your wires so that you can continue your teeth straightening treatment.

 

If you keep experiencing broken brackets and wires, you may need some tips and tricks from Dr. Valderrama in order to keep your braces in good condition throughout the teeth straightening process. This can include tips on how to keep your braces clean with brushing, flossing and rinsing, how to angle the toothbrush to remove all the food particles from the edges of the braces and how much pressure to use while brushing. We can also give you a reminder of the types of foods that are safe for braces and the types of food you should avoid as well as how to eat certain foods to ensure they do not put too much pressure on your brackets. Also, please be careful with electric toothbrushes as the vibration and pressure could break also brackets if it is too high.

To schedule an appointment with our orthodontist Dr. Natalia Valderrama and her wonderful orthodontic team in Viera/Melbourne to see if traditional braces would be right for you or to schedule an urgent appointment for a broken bracket or wire, call us at 321-425-5050 or 321-544-4127.