Is a Broken Wire in Your Braces a Dental Emergency?
Braces are made up of wires, brackets, and other parts that can become loose or even break. If you end up with a broken wire in your braces, should you seek emergency dental care or visit your dentist in Phoenix during regular hours? Since your braces are an important part of correcting orthodontic issues, it’s important to know what to do if this problem occurs. Keep the following in mind, so you’ll know how to deal with a broken wire in your braces.
When a Wire Breaks
When a wire breaks in your braces, this isn’t necessarily a dental emergency. If the wire isn’t causing any discomfort, you can wait until regular office hours to have it fixed or replaced. However, you should get dental care as soon as you can if the broken wire causes discomfort. The ends of broken wires in braces can scrape against your gums or the inside of your mouth, resulting in cuts or abrasions. Gently bend wires with tweezers to get them back against the surface of your tooth and away from your gums. You can also put wax on the ends of broken wires until you’re able to have them fixed or replaced.
Problems with Braces
When you wear braces, you might run into other problems with them. It’s important to know whether or not these problems constitute an emergency, so you know when to see your dentist or orthodontist. Most problems with braces aren’t considered emergencies that require immediate care. You might have loose brackets, appliances, or wires, which you can carefully push back in place if possible. Putting wax on any component that makes you uncomfortable can also help. While you might not need to get care right away for these problems, you should make an appointment as soon as you can.
What to Do in General Dental Emergencies
Braces aren’t the only potential source of dental emergencies. Tooth or gum infections, severe tooth decay, broken or fractured teeth, knocked out teeth, and other problems can cause dental emergencies as well. What should you do if you experience any of these issues? In general, do the following:
- Infection or abscess: This is considered a potentially life-threatening emergency. Seek immediate dental care. Infections and abscesses can spread to other areas of your body if not treated in time. You might have a fever, severe pain, redness, and swelling in the affected area if you have a tooth infection. With an abscess, you might also have a small bump close to the affected tooth on your gums, as well as a toothache that doesn’t go away, facial swelling, and tender lymph nodes in your jaw or neck.
- Knocked out tooth: This dental emergency requires care as soon as possible, so that you don’t lose your tooth permanently. Pick up the knocked out tooth without touching the root, gently clean it, then put it back in place. If you’re unable to put the tooth back into the socket, place it in a clean container of milk and take it to your dentist. You’ll need to get dental care quickly in order to save your tooth.
- Broken or fractured tooth: A broken or fractured tooth might not be a dental emergency if it’s a minor injury that isn’t causing severe pain or other problems. For example, a cracked or chipped tooth usually doesn’t need emergency care. However, you should see a dentist right away if you have a broken or fractured tooth accompanied by severe discomfort. If part of the tooth broke off, try to save it and bring it to the dentist with you. If you have dental adhesive at home, you can try reattaching the fragment before your appointment. This can help lower your risk of needing to have the damaged tooth restored with a crown.
Conclusion
If you have a dental emergency, contact Dental Brothers. Our dentists in Mesa and Phoenix can provide you with the care you need for urgent dental problems, including any problems with your braces.
