While extra care is needed with wearing braces, sometimes, the inevitable happens and damage can occur. Wires can break, or the brackets and bands can loosen.Because the mouth functions actively, these accidents are unavoidable. Nonetheless, it’s frustrating and irritating when braces are damaged.
Besides, broken braces can be painful and uncomfortable that bearing with it is really out of the question. If the wires protrude or parts of it are loose, it can hurt your mouth, or prevent you from talking or eating. Attention must be immediately given to it, so as not to make things worst.
Precautions
It is never a good idea to attempt to repair the braces on your own. Only an orthodontist is trained with the skills to repair the appliance. Tampering with it, without the proper tools and know-how, may only lead to repercussions. You could damage the braces further, and set your treatment back. It’s not only going to cost you more money, but time as well.
If your braces break, the first thing you must do is to call the clinic right away and explain the emergency. The orthodontist can usually tell how crucial is the situation. But if you can’t get a slot with him that very hour, set up an appointment to get this fixed as soon as possible.
If there’s such a thing as basic first aid when it comes to other emergencies, you may also have to do this with your braces. However, take note to follow these tips only if you can’t get appointment at the soonest possible time. Nothing still replaces visiting a professional to fix the broken parts and get refitted or re-adjusted with new ones.
Broken Wires
- With the tip of an eraser, push any wire that is out of place into a more comfortable position.
- Resist the urge to cut the wires, as you risk swallowing these.
- Use an orthodontic wax to cover any loose wires that may be poking your gums, cheeks and mouth. At the beginning of your treatment, your dentist normally gives you this wax.
- To manage the pain, rub a topical pain reliever to the sore spot.
- You can also drink ibuprofen or paracetamol.
- If you have incurred any wounds because of the damaged braces, washing your mouth with a saline solution as this can help numb the pain and irritation, as well as control any inflammation.
Loose Parts
- Don’t attempt to put a loose part back.
- Although these are replaceable at the clinic, keep or save anything that has come off.
- Show this when you visit the dentist, so that he or she can assess what has happened and make sure that the damage don’t happen again.
Lastly, it may also help to learn about the parts of the braces early on so that any time you call the dentist for an emergency situation, it will be easy to identify parts over the phone.