Maintaining metal braces requires special care to prevent issues such as broken brackets or wires. If you or your child recently had braces put in, learn what causes the brackets to snap and how to prevent this often-painful dental care issue in the sections below.

What Causes Brackets to Break & What Preventative Measures Can I Take?

Common Reasons

These delicate wires break or bend for numerous reasons, including trauma to the face. If you or your child gets hit in the mouth during a sporting event, for example, the brackets may snap. Biting into hard foods such as nuts, hard or sticky candy, popcorn, and crisp, raw fruit such as pears and apples, can bend the wires or dislodge the brackets. Hard, raw vegetables that cannot be mashed can also cause braces problems. Using a toothpick can damage brackets as well.

What You Can Do

Use orthodontic wax to keep the bracket in place or cover the wire until you can see a dental health professional. This will prevent mouth tissue irritation and pain. In terms of avoiding broken wires, discuss a list of recommended foods with your dentist, including soft options like yogurt and pureed vegetables, and refrain from consuming hard or sticky foods.

Stick to gentle brushing practices using a soft-bristled brush and floss carefully to keep braces intact. If you or your child engage in sporting activities, purchase a mouthguard to prevent impact-related injuries.

Do not bite into or chew anything that is not food, such as ice cubes and pens, to avoid dislodged braces.

If your child has braces or is due for a teeth cleaning and checkup, make an appointment with Carolyn B. Crowell, DMD & Associates. The pediatric dentist provides children throughout the greater Avon, OH, community with dental care that contributes to lifetimes of healthy teeth and gums. Dr. Crowell and her team make appointments as fun and informative for little patients as possible. Call (440) 934-0149 to schedule an appointment today or learn more about the children’s dentist online.