Braces are impressive little gadgets. Over time, they move your teeth and over time you’ll experience that your braces break.
Yes my friends, braces break, and orthodontic emergencies like this, happens all the time. When that happens, sometimes a wire starts to poke your cheek, tongue and gums, which is very much uncomfortable. 
The brackets and wires are fragile and can break for a number of reasons:
- Eating the wrong foods.
- Sustaining an injury to your mouth.
- Brushing teeth incorrectly or too vigorously.
- Using a toothpick or flossing roughly.
Broken braces are loosely classified by part:
- Loose braces are the metal or ceramic pieces that are attached to your teeth using composite resin. They can come loose or break if you eat chewy or hard food. If this happens, the brackets might irritate your inner cheek, tongue or gum. If your orthodontist gave you some dental wax at your first visit, you can apply a little on the loose bracket to prevent further irritation. Should the loose bracket affect the way you talk or eat or cause you pain, schedule an appointment with your orthodontist. Never play with a loose bracket; if it comes off completely, bring it with you on your dental visit.
Loose Braces
Make an appointment with your orthodontist to have the bracket repaired. The urgency for seeing your specialist depends on how much discomfort you’re experiencing and the degree of damage. Notify him or her as to whether you have the parts of the bracket with you. This will enable your orthodontist to be prepared to fix the bracket during your appointment.
While you wait for the appointment, rinse your mouth regularly with salt water to promote healing, and eat soft foods such as boiled eggs, yogurt and fresh breads to avoid doing further damage to the bracket. Avoid hard, crunchy foods such as apples, raw carrots and even sticky candies. You can also take an over-the-counter painkiller to reduce the discomfort.
Image Credits: askanorthodontist, thedentalcheck, getholistichealth, dierorthodontics, ederorthodontics
