If you’ve been enjoying some delicious Montgomery barbecue and forgot to take the meat off the bone, you may have found yourself chewing on something a little too hard to be charred barbecue meat…instead it’s a piece of a bracket from your braces!
This situation can be a little scary at first, and you may find yourself panicking and worrying about what to do. Not to worry! That’s where our Just for Grins Orthodontics team comes in. We’re here to walk you through what to do if you’re faced with a broken bracket braces scenario.
Here’s how to handle this in 5 easy steps!
Step 1: Don’t panic…assess
First things first, take a moment to calm down if you’re panicking. Panic can be a natural response to unexpected or unknown situations, but rest assured our ortho experts can give you the knowledge and resources you need to handle this situation with ease.
Now it’s time to assess the damage to your braces:
- Is the bracket completely off or just a part of it?
- Is the rest of the bracket on or loose?
- Do you see any bent wires or feel a poking wire?
Getting answers to all of these questions that help you get a clear picture of what’s needed for the next step.
Step 2: Ease any discomfort or irritation
If your broken bracket has a poking wire, gently push the wire away from sensitive tissues and add a piece of ortho wax to the end of the wire. This will help keep the wire in place without causing further damage to your braces or mouth.
With a broken bracket on braces, stick some ortho wax to the remaining bracket piece to help smooth out any sharp edges and prevent it from scraping your cheek. If your broken bracket rubs on your cheek at night, try a saltwater rinse in the morning to soothe any irritation before applying more ortho wax.
Step 3: Contact your orthodontist
As soon as you notice a broken bracket on your braces and have gotten your discomfort under control, give us a call!
Letting us know what happened allows us to offer expert advice and get you quickly scheduled for an emergency orthodontist appointment. Feel free to ask us any questions on what to do with your broken braces bracket and be sure to follow any instructions we give you leading up to your appointment.
During your emergency orthodontist appointment, Dr. Dunn or Dr. Schreiber will assess your entire braces system to see if there’s any other damage and get your treatment back on track.
Step 4: Eat soft, braces-friendly foods
While you wait for your upcoming orthodontic emergency appointment, you should opt for soft, easy to chew foods. This will stop further damage to your braces and allow you to eat comfortably. Go for braces-friendly foods such as mashed potatoes, soup, steamed vegetables, pudding, or scrambled eggs.
You can also try tender cooked meats such as chicken or beef, just be careful to chew on the opposite side to your broken bracket so you don’t dislodge your ortho wax or get a poking wire to the cheek.
Some braces patients in this scenario also try to do this as chewing can cause your tooth to feel wiggly where the bracket and wire are broken and disconnected from the rest of your braces and it can be a strange or unnerving sensation.
Be sure to avoid any hard, crunchy, or sticky foods too!
Step 5: Practice good oral hygiene and attend your appointment
Your bracket may be broken, but that doesn’t mean you should avoid the damaged area entirely. It’s still important to brush and floss as normal as broken brackets have more space for food debris to hide and build-up.
Also, be sure you make it to your orthodontic emergency appointment so Dr. Dunn or Dr. Schreiber can replace your broken bracket and any broken wires. Missing your appointment will increase the risk of damage to your braces and can cause you further discomfort.
Still have questions on what to do with a broken braces bracket?
Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us with any questions! We’re here to guide you through orthodontic treatment, including any orthodontic emergencies.
Haven’t started your smile transformation yet? Request your complimentary consultation with our experienced orthodontists in Millbrook, Wetumpka, or Montgomery, AL.
