What to Do About Loose Braces?

If you are sporting braces, chances are you’ve encountered at least some of the problems with loose wires or brackets. Although wires are meant to be adjusted over time and braces allow certain flexibility, you should monitor the situation and watch for extremes. In any case, these scenarios are common and can be fixed easily.

What makes braces become loose?

Loose wire braces can be a consequence of many factors. Most of them are of mechanical nature, damaging brackets and other parts, leading to loose bits and pieces in your mouth. If you want to take good care of your teeth and braces, avoid the following:

Any food which is not advised for patients with braces: Hard, chewy, crunchy or sticky food types such as nutty fruits, caramel, popcorn and even fruits such as apple.

Ticks and other biting habits where you nibble on the pens, ice or your fingernails.

Trauma to the mouth causing physical damage to the braces.

Erosion of the bond between the teeth and the brackets or poorly installed brackets.

Keeping oral hygiene with braces requires more attention, therefore orthodontists and dentists strongly suggest avoiding certain food types so you don’t risk any negative impact. Food particles themselves are also tougher to clean and can result in a loose bracket on braces.

Risks of having loose braces and damaged brackets

Braces have to be properly fixed and functional to have the best effect on your teeth. If the elements are not in place or in sync, chances are high that this will stop the progress of your recovery or even prolong it.

Because they work as a system, you have to make sure all of the brackets are in place and undamaged, otherwise, the dynamic of teeth movement is not synchronized. Loose bits also represent a choking hazard.

What should you do in case of loose braces?

To avoid any serious risk to your oral health and progress that you’ve made with your braces, contact your orthodontist or dentist as soon as you notice unfavorable developments.

If one of your brackets is slightly loose and you are due for a visit for an archwire change within a couple of days, you might be advised to wait until then. Otherwise, it’s highly likely that your orthodontist will schedule a premature visit and tend to the problem. That is why if you are having any problem or especially if you have a loose tooth with braces, you should ring your dental office.

When brackets become loose or even completely separated from the teeth, the wire is the only thing keeping them in place. The position of the bracket can then cause significant discomfort, especially if it’s rubbing against your gum tissue. In case you experience something similar, you can use sugar-free gum to protect your soft moth tissue and relieve the pain before your trip to the dentist. Keep in mind that the wire itself is always under greater tension after the visit to the orthodontist and so are your teeth as well. Other imbalances and differences between parts of your braces are not welcome and should be monitored.

If you have trouble with your braces and feel any discomfort at all – just give us a ring at (305) 677 0338 to schedule your appointment.