Loose Braces Wire: Braces help straighten and fix teeth. The primary wire, called the archwire, applies pressure to your teeth to move them into the desired position. The wires attach to specific points on your molars through special brackets. In some cases, a thin piece of plastic or metal may bend or break over time with wear, improper care, and if not chosen carefully from the start. Metal braces can warp over time due to prolonged exposure to particular food or beverages also. They can also cause staining and enamel deterioration. Anyway, the bent wires can pose several problems, and that’s why you need to arm yourself with the knowledge about the issue of wire breakage, the risks involved, and how to manage the situation. Here is brief information to guide you on this.
The doctor can recommend stainless steel archwires or nickel-titanium (NiTi), depending on the overall situation. There can be other varieties, such as those made from beta-titanium. But before this, it is critical to know that the selection of wires depends on your dentist’s choice and your orthodontic condition.
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Causes Of Wire Breakage
Archwire breakage may occur due to several reasons. According to a study, wire breakage was the second-most typical dental emergency after tooth exposure. It required treatment during in-office dental visits by general dentists and orthodontic specialists. Nevertheless, it is critical to know that some common causes can be certain eating habits, injury to the mouth, and constant prodding and poking of the braces.
Food Damage
When you wear braces, you need to leave some foods as they can damage them, leading to major oral care issues. For example, you may want to stay away fromsticky foods, such as chewy candy, gum, and taffy, which often get trapped between brackets and wires in your mouth. The same thing applies to hard or crunchy foods. Eating popcorn, corn on the cob, and other hard food can ruin your braces, including the archwire.
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Accidents Or Falls
Accidental falls or sports injuries can cause a massive blow to your face, hurting your mouth and eventually breaking the archwire. In some cases, it can also fall from its place.
Tampering
It can be highly discomforting when a piece of food gets stuck between your braces, and you want to dislodge it. To find relief, you can use your finger or toothpick to get that irritating piece out of the brackets. Continuously doing so can hamper the wire and make them bend or break.
Risks Of Broken Wires
A piece of broken wire can be painful and dangerous for your oral health. Due to breakage, the wire can continuously prod your lip and cheek. As a result, you can face pain and discomfort. The risk of cuts is also unavoidable, and so is the issue of bleeding. If it hurts the tissues, you can develop mouth sores. And these can eventually lead to the scare of bacterial infection. The signs of disease can be noticeable if you get fever, redness, swelling, tenderness, pain, pus leakage, etc.
Things To Do When The Wire Breaks
If your wires become loose or broken, you will want to check for an emergency dental service near me in Oyster Bay, NY. There can be two reasons for doing this. One is that broken or loose archwires can lead to sores, cuts, and pain. Also, wires come in handy in moving your teeth and jaw in a preferred direction. When they become weak, your main treatment may get affected. Hence, it is better to check with your dentist and get help at the earliest. Depending on the situation, the doctor may recommend changing the wire, adjusting the wire popping out of place, etc. They can also give you antibiotics to prevent the risk of bacterial infection.
Home Remedies For Temporary Handling
Before getting to the dentist, you can try a few things for some relief or stop the issue from worsening. For example, you can buy dental wax, which can be silicone material. You can use this to create a barrier to stop the wire from prodding your skin. If you decide to opt for this, take a small ball of dental wax and press it flat to cover the protruding wire end.
Or some people use a cotton swab or pencil eraser for this purpose. They use them as a tool to move the archwire safely away from the cheek and lips. Make sure you don’t apply too much pressure when doing this. Also, the wire should be flat to avoid irritating your mouth.
If nothing works, you may consider cutting the archwire, which has to be the last step. As a safe practice, you would want to keep a tissue or gauze handy in that area so that clipped pieces fall on it. You can trim the wire with nail clippers and cover the open end with dental wax. If there has been a sore or cut, you would want to tend to the area slightly. For example, consider using salt water to clean your mouth. Make sure your toothbrush has soft bristles to prevent the risk of irritating your wound and allow it to heal better. Eating soft and cool foods can feel soothing. Stay away from anything spicy or hard to help the cut or sore remain calm and recover.
Preventative Measures For Wire Breakage
You can do several things to care for the wire of your braces. One of them is brushing. Use a soft toothbrush and clean your mouth after every meal so that food doesn’t get stuck there. You can floss teeth with a floss threader to eliminate the particles. As mentioned already, don’t eat hard, chewy, and crunchy items. Don’t forget to put on your mouthguard if you enjoy playing sports.
If you wear braces, it’s pretty common to experience soreness when your braces rub against your lips or cheeks. A thin archwire inside your braces can break and poke into your skin, allowing bacteria to grow on the wire and cause infection. So, be careful and take the proper steps to avoid any major oral health setback.
