My Braces Bracket Fell off (BEST TIPS TO FIX)

When you have braces, one of the most common issues that you should be on the lookout for is a brace coming loose or a bracket fell off and possibly fell out of your mouth. There is a myriad of reasons as to why this can occur. If the brace that fell off was located towards the back of your mouth, it’s possible that a loose wire could scrape against your gums and cause your mouth to bleed. As such, it’s essential that you’re fully aware of what to do when you experience this orthodontic problem so that your response to the situation is the right one.

 

Main Causes for This Issue

Whether the brace is broken or has loosened slightly, there are a wide array of causes for this particular issue. No matter how well made a brace is, they are very small pieces of metal that can be easily broken during your treatment. The most common causes of this problem include:

• Eating the wrong types of foods that cause impact damage with the metal, which can include hard candies

• Being injured around the mouth because of playing sports or slipping and falling

• Flossing incorrectly

• Using toothpicks too often

• Brushing your teeth in a manner that’s too rough and vigorous

No matter the cause of the problem, you’ll want to take the right steps to ensure that the brace is fixed without further issues.

 

Assess the Damage

Whether you’ve swallowed the brace or it has fallen out of your mouth, you’ll want to asses the damage before determining what your next step should be. If the wire remains slightly attached to the brace, leave it alone until you schedule an appointment with your orthodontist. Make sure that you don’t panic, as your response can play a part in how extensive the damage is.

If everything is still attached but the brace is sticking out, you can gently push it back into place. Do this with a swab of cotton. You can purchase orthodontic wax that will hold the piece of metal in place until you can schedule a visit to your orthodontist. If the bracket fell off completely, you’ll want to make sure that you locate the brace and bring it with you at the next appointment you or your child have.

 

 

What to Do If Your Bracket Fell Off

Once you’ve determined how extensive the damage is, there are several steps that you will need to take. This is in order to make sure that further damage doesn’t occur with your braces. It’s especially important that these steps are taken if you’re unable to obtain an appointment with an expert orthodontist for a couple of days. Take a look at the wires around the area where the brace has become damaged. If any of them are protruding, you’ll want to clip these wires, which can be done with standard nail clippers.

Make sure that the wires are cut to a short length that’s close to your teeth. Once you’ve clipped the wires as much as possible, you should consider pushing the wire against the tooth. Then placing some orthodontic wax around it, which helps to ensure that the wires don’t poke your gums as you wait for your appointment. If you don’t have any orthodontic wax around, cutting the wires as much as you can, can be enough to keep the wires from cutting your gums.

It’s now time to book an appointment with an expert orthodontist such as ours. This will allow you to have your braces repaired properly. When you call the orthodontist, provide them with comprehensive details about the problem. Plus, the amount of pain you’re going through so that they can ascertain how soon you need treatment. You also need to tell them whether or not you still have the brace, which will help the orthodontist prepare for your appointment.

 

Steps to Take Before Appointment With Expert Orthodontist

Once you’ve scheduled an appointment with our orthodontist, it will likely be a couple of days before you’re able to come into the office. As such, there are some things that you should do in the meantime. If your mouth has been cut at all because of the damaged brace, you should rinse your mouth at least several times each day with salt water. This is to make sure that the wound heals quickly and without issue.

You also don’t want to damage the bracket any further. Which is why you should stick to eating softer foods that won’t cause additional discomfort. Foods like soft bread, eggs, yogurt, and jello. All crunchy or hard foods should be avoided completely until your braces have been fixed. Which means that you should stay away from candy, apples, chips, and tough meats.

If the broken brace or wire has caused some sores to develop in your mouth, you can use standard pain relievers to reduce the pain you’re experiencing while you wait for the sores to heal. Keep in mind that a broken brace is not always a sign of an orthodontic emergency. If the brace has not caused any further issues, you may be able to wait until your next appointment to have the brace fixed. However, you should always contact your orthodontist before determining what your next steps should be.