Broken Braces? Here’s Your Next Move

When you talk to your dentist about taking care of your braces, they’ll likely give you plenty of advice for what you can do to keep your oral appliance in good condition. They will teach you how to clean your braces, what foods to avoid, and how often to see them for regular tightenings.

While this means that patients are often adequately prepared to care for their braces, they can also be caught a little off guard if their oral appliance ever actually breaks. You might be at a loss for what to do if you’re in this situation; here’s what your next move should be. 

Stabilize the Situation

When you notice that your braces have broken in some way, take a look and see what exactly the issue is. If a bracket or rubber band is coming loose, you may need to be cautious to ensure that the problem doesn’t worsen. On the other hand, you should retrieve any parts that have fallen off completely and set them aside for your orthodontist.

Broken or protruding wires could potentially cause discomfort or pain, so you might want to try and gently push these back into place, taking care not to damage your braces further.

Call a Professional

Your next step should be to call your dentist or orthodontist. They will sometimes schedule you an emergency appointment, particularly if the damage to your braces is substantial enough to cause serious issues. However, it’s more common for dentists to simply wait until your next regularly scheduled appointment to deal with your problem.

Keep the Damage to a Minimum

Until your braces can be fixed, you should be cautious in order to prevent further damage. Be sure to avoid eating anything that could put undue pressure on your braces. Hard, crunchy, sticky, and gummy foods can all cause the damage to your braces to become more severe and should therefore be omitted from your diet. You should also be vigilant for poking wires and cover them with orthodontic wax as necessary.

Just hold on for a few days—once you see an oral health professional, they’ll be able to help you get the care that you need in no time at all!

About Our Practice

At Chester County Dental Arts, we work incredibly hard to offer our patients everything that they could need to get their dream smile. We know that braces can feel like a long journey, which is why everyone on our staff will commit to being by your side through the whole process. Whether you wind up with a broken bracket, a loose wire, or if you just need a little extra guidance when it comes to daily hygiene, we can confidently say that we’re here for you.

If you have any questions about broken braces, we can be reached at our website or by phone at (610) 383-1600.