Please read this letter prior to your appointment with Dr. Dougherty.
What to Do if a Bracket Breaks
Posted on 11/25/2019 by Harry L. Dougherty DDS, MS
Broken wires and/or brackets are not uncommon when you have braces. It is not a cause for alarm or panic, but there are some things you need to do to protect your mouth and understand why brackets break so you can take extra caution not to put yourself unnecessarily at risk.
If you do experience a broken bracket, please be cautious not to damage the inside of your mouth and come into our office to get it fixed as quickly as possible.
Protect Your Mouth
Braces are made up of extremely sharp wires and brackets and there may come a time when you need to take immediate action to protect your mouth from abrasions before you can come in for a visit. If you have a pair of tweezers around the house, you can easily fix a common problem such as moving a bracket into a less uncomfortable position on your teeth. Just be gentle and take care not to harm your teeth.
Why Do Brackets Break?
The most common types of breaks in braces we see are due to patients continuing to eat hard and sticky snacks and foods. Simply cutting up your food in smaller portions and changing out foods that you shouldn't eat with your braces can help.
Replace them with foods you have wanted to try and develop a healthier eating lifestyle in the process. In addition, if you play sports, you want to take extra caution to wear protective gear over your mouth when engaging in contact activities. If you or your teenager has braces, we can talk about mouthguard options best for people who wear braces and ensure that it fits properly.
Lastly, if you have food stuck in your braces, the worst thing you can do is take any type of instrument to your braces and wires. Use a plastic pick made for the teeth, brush your teeth, and make sure to floss regularly, and your teeth will fall into place as the braces are intended. Schedule your consultation to discuss your orthodontic options, today!
Broken wires and/or brackets are not uncommon when you have braces. It is not a cause for alarm or panic, but there are some things you need to do to protect your mouth and understand why brackets break so you can take extra caution not to put yourself unnecessarily at risk. 
