Brackets and Sprung Wires Between Braces Adjustments: 5 Expert Tips

Like most things worth having, when we embark on the journey to capture our best smile, we think more about the ultimate achievement than the responsibilities along the way. Getting braces isn’t just about your orthodontist installing the braces on your teeth, making adjustments, and removing braces at the end of your treatment.

Whether you’re an adult or a child, you have a lot of input into how the entire process plays out. In this blog, Dr. Duval and the professional staff at Duval Orthodontics share five maintenance and care tips to keep your brackets and archwires in tip-top shape between appointments.

How orthodontics works

While you’re probably more interested in the result, gaining a better understanding of the mechanics of orthodontics adds context to why it’s so important to follow some best practices in braces care and upkeep.

Orthodontists use oral appliances like braces or aligners to apply gentle pressure or force to shift teeth to new optimal positions over time, addressing crowding or bite issues.

Special bone cells team up to eliminate the previously misaligned teeth positions, create new bone, and support the teeth in their new positions. During a treatment plan for braces, your orthodontist makes controlled adjustments to your braces at scheduled periodic appointments.

The Dynamic Duo: brackets and archwires

The key parts of braces that allow the whole process to unfold like clockwork are brackets and archwires, but archwires are the underappreciated component that truly keeps everything humming along.

Archwires, the thin, flexible wires that work in both the top and bottom arch of your mouth, do the heavy lifting in orthodontics. Specifically, archwires connect to the brackets on your teeth, creating the gentle pressure responsible for teeth movement. The issue is that brackets and archwires can’t do their work if they break or aren’t in good working order.

That’s where you come in.

Practicing gentle care while ditching bad habits

There are several best practices you can do to avoid delays in your treatment plan caused by sprung archwires or broken brackets. Expert tips include the following;

1. Slow down; take care when chewing

Eating food with braces takes a little time to get used to. Your bite will change during the process, so you should adjust how you chew or bite food. Eat your meals slowly and take intentional bites, chewing carefully; this isn’t the time to go into attack mode when eating. One aggressive move may bend an archwire, shift a bracket out of place, or even break it.

2. Do not use your teeth like tools

Breaking bad habits, such as using your teeth like scissors or tools, can also help you avoid unnecessary trips to the orthodontist to fix a bracket or archwire. It’s not just about scheduling another appointment but about adding extra time to your treatment plan because your braces couldn’t perform their task.

3. Say no to nail-biting and ice chewing

Similarly, if you bite and chew your nails, love to crunch ice, or have a habit of chewing on pen caps or pencils, use your treatment time to break these bad habits. After all, once you get the smile you’ve always dreamed about, you don’t want to damage that beautiful smile you’ve worked so hard to get. 

4. Make wise food choices

Hard foods like unpopped popcorn kernels, pretzels, hard candy, and raw vegetables and fruit can do a number on your brackets and archwires. Do your best to avoid hard foods during orthodontic treatment. For things like fruits and vegetables, you can work around the issue by cooking them to make them softer. If you prefer to eat them raw, cut them into small pieces before chewing them. Your braces will thank you.

5. Brush well, but be gentle

Being vigilant about keeping your teeth clean while wearing braces is a good thing. After all, your braces provide challenging nooks and crannies, and you want to keep your teeth free from food debris. Practice brushing better, not harder, is the way to go.

Purchase a soft-bristled toothbrush, and don’t forget to brush your top and bottom bracket portions. For more focused brushing in those nooks and crannies, consider buying a special interproximal brush to remove lingering food particles and plaque in those hard-to-reach places.

Despite your best efforts, accidents happen. If you experience a broken bracket or problem with your archwires, contact us to schedule an appointment. Call our office in Warner Robins or Albany, Georgia, to book your visit today or use the online scheduling feature.