My Braces are Poking Me: Can I Fix Them on my Own?

Even with the most careful attention to your braces 一 cutting your food into small pieces, avoiding sticky or hard foods, and brushing regularly 一 it’s still possible that a wire comes loose (or breaks) and pokes the inside of your mouth.

While you may take steps to temporarily fix your braces, it’s best to give us a call at Lovely Smiles Orthodontics in Richmond, Texas. Dr. Nicole Thompson provides emergency orthodontic services. Not only can we fix any wires that poke you, but we can also ensure that all of your brackets and other appliances are still intact so that your treatment may progress on schedule.

In the meantime, here’s what you can do to alleviate any discomfort before you arrive for your appointment.

Fixing a loose or broken wire on your braces

While you can’t permanently fix braces on your own, you can take a few steps to alleviate pain and stop any broken wires from cutting your cheek or tongue.

Use orthodontic wax

Orthodontic wax is designed to relieve discomfort by creating a barrier between the braces’ wires or other appliances and your cheek. It helps to stop pain and prevent future injury. 

Here are a few tips to use orthodontic wax for a poking wire:

• Brush your teeth to remove any food debris
• Wash your hands
• Make sure the area around your wire and/or bracket is dry (you can blot with a clean cotton pad or gauze)
• Use only clean, new wax; never reuse wax
• Roll the wax into a pea-sized ball
• Cover any sharp or poking parts with the wax

Remove the wax when you need to eat and repeat the process with new wax after you’re done eating.

Use a pencil eraser

Pokey wires can cause intense pain and lacerations, but what if you don’t have any orthodontic wax? If you’re in a bind and need to cover a wire without any wax, slide the tip of a new pencil eraser over the wire. While orthodontic wax is always the preferable option, a pencil eraser can at least stop a wire from cutting your cheek.

Tip: Always keep an extra packet of orthodontic wax in your purse, backpack, gym bag, or briefcase. That way you’ll never be without this handy accessory! 

Use tweezers

If the archwire has come loose from one of your child’s molar brackets, you may have luck inserting the wire back into place with tweezers. Be careful and don’t force it if you can’t slide it back into place easily. If you’re able to replace the wire, cover it with orthodontic wax to help hold it in place until your appointment.

After fixing your braces

While the above solutions are temporary, our team is ready to help provide a permanent solution for braces that poke you. Even with the use of orthodontic wax, you may have already sustained a cut or laceration. Give your mouth time to heal. Swish your mouth with a salt water solution to clean any oral wounds.

You may find that cold compresses help reduce pain, as will following a soft diet for a day while your mouth heals. Smoothies, soup, mashed potatoes, yogurt, scrambled eggs, and oatmeal are nutritious soft foods that won’t further irritate any mouth sores you may have developed.

Get lasting relief

Once you arrive for your appointment, our team here at Lovely Smiles Orthodontics expertly repairs any broken wires. If any of your brackets have come loose, we cement them back in place. Don’t forget to take more orthodontic wax while you’re here!

If you encounter any issues with your braces, call or click to schedule an emergency orthodontic appointment at our Richmond, Texas, office.