Braces emergency: what to do about broken wires and brackets

Most braces emergencies are not emergencies in the medical sense. A poking wire, a loose bracket, or a lost rubber band is uncomfortable and worth a phone call, but it is almost never dangerous. The right response is to make yourself comfortable at home, protect your mouth with orthodontic wax, and call your orthodontist's office so the repair can be scheduled. The true emergencies are rare, and they usually involve an injury to the face or mouth.

This guide covers the common problems, what you can safely do about each one, and when it is time to call the office or go to an emergency room. It is general information for patients and parents in the Bakersfield area, not a substitute for an exam.

What counts as a braces emergency?

Orthodontists tend to sort problems into three groups.

• Urgent but not an emergency. Pain you cannot manage, or a wire that is cutting your cheek or tongue and will not stay covered. Call the office the same day.
• Needs a repair visit. A loose bracket, a broken wire, a loose band, or a lost separator. Not painful enough to rush, but it should not wait for your next routine appointment if it is stopping your teeth from moving.
• A true emergency. A blow to the face, a knocked-out or cracked tooth, heavy bleeding that does not stop, facial swelling, or trouble breathing or swallowing. These go to an emergency room or urgent care, not to the orthodontist's schedule.

Everything below falls in the first two groups.

What do I do about a poking wire?

The archwire is the thin metal wire that runs through the brackets on your teeth. As teeth shift, the end of the wire can slide and poke into your cheek or gums.

1. Wash your hands, then use a clean pencil eraser or a cotton swab to gently push the wire flat against the tooth.
2. If it will not move, roll a small piece of orthodontic wax into a ball and press it over the sharp end. Wax is the one item every braces patient should keep in a backpack, glovebox, and bathroom drawer.
3. Rinse with warm salt water (about a teaspoon of salt in a glass of warm water) if your cheek is irritated.
4. Call the office so the wire can be trimmed or replaced.

Please do not cut the wire yourself. A snipped piece can be swallowed or inhaled, and a rough cut can leave a worse edge than the one you started with.

What if a bracket comes loose or breaks?

A bracket is the small attachment bonded to each tooth. Brackets come off from a hard bite on something crunchy, a ball to the mouth, or just ordinary wear.

• Still attached to the wire? Leave it in place. If it is spinning or sliding, you can gently move it back toward the center of the tooth and use wax to hold it comfortably.
• Fully off? Keep it if you can find it, and bring it to your visit. If an edge is rubbing, cover it with wax.
• Do not use household glue. It is not safe for your mouth and can make the repair harder.

A loose bracket matters for a reason beyond comfort: a tooth with no bracket is not being guided, so the wire cannot move it. Repairing it promptly keeps treatment on track. Our guide to how long braces take explains why broken pieces and missed visits can add time.

What about a broken or loose wire?

Sometimes a wire slips out of the bracket on the last tooth, or a section comes loose when a hard food catches it. Use the same approach as a poking wire: gently reposition it if you can, cover any sharp end with wax, and call the office. If the wire is shifted but not hurting you, you can usually wait for the next available repair visit.

What if a band, separator, or rubber band is lost?

• Loose molar band. A band is a metal ring that fits around a back tooth. If one comes loose, do not try to remove it unless it is about to fall out. Call the office.
• Lost separator. Separators are the tiny rubber spacers placed between teeth before bands go on. If one falls out, mention it when you call.
• Lost elastics. Elastics are the small rubber bands that apply extra force between the upper and lower teeth. Skipping them for a day or two is not harmful, but if you run out or lose your supply, ask the office for more rather than going without for long.

How do I handle mouth sores and irritated cheeks?

Sore spots are the most common complaint, especially in the early weeks. Wax over the offending bracket, warm salt-water rinses, and soft foods usually settle things down. Our first week with braces post covers soreness and what to eat in more detail. Call the office if a sore is not improving after a week or keeps getting worse.

What if I have Invisalign or a retainer instead?

Clear aligners and retainers have their own versions of an emergency:

• Cracked or lost aligner. Call the office before skipping ahead to the next set. Moving forward with an aligner that has not finished its job can set treatment back. Our Invisalign page explains how the trays work.
• Lost or broken retainer. Teeth begin to drift when a retainer is left out, so call sooner rather than later. See retainers after braces for why that happens.

What should I keep in a braces emergency kit?

Short list, easy to pack, useful in a gym bag or school backpack:

• Orthodontic wax
• A small mirror and a clean cotton swab or pencil eraser
• Dental floss or an interdental brush
• A travel toothbrush
• Your retainer or aligner case, if you have one
• The office phone number: 661-323-5910

If your teen plays sports, pair the kit with a proper mouthguard. Our post on braces and school sports covers mouthguards, practices, and game day.

What should I avoid so repairs are less likely?

Most broken brackets come from the same few foods and habits: hard candy, ice, popcorn kernels, whole raw carrots or apples bitten straight into, and chewing on pens or fingernails. Cutting hard foods into small pieces and eating sticky foods in moderation protects your braces. Brushing carefully around brackets also helps. If you are comparing options for your own treatment, our overview of traditional braces explains what the hardware is made of and how it is built to be worn.

When should I call the orthodontist?

Call the office when:

• a wire or bracket is cutting your cheek, lip, or tongue and wax does not help
• a bracket, band, or wire has broken or come off
• you have lost an aligner or retainer
• pain keeps getting worse after the first few days, or a sore is not healing
• you are not sure whether something is a problem

The office is open Monday through Wednesday from 8 AM to 6 PM and Thursday from 7 AM to 4 PM, and is closed Friday through Sunday. The number is 661-323-5910. If something happens outside those hours and wax gives you relief, the repair can wait for the next open day. If there is facial swelling, uncontrolled bleeding, a knocked-out tooth, or trouble breathing, go to an emergency room or call 911.

Thinking about braces in Bakersfield?

If you are weighing braces for yourself or your child, the best next step is an exam, where Dr. Mendivil can explain the options and what treatment would involve. You can schedule a free consultation, and our FAQ answers many common questions in the meantime.