Braces Wire Popped Out Of Bracket: Causes, What To Do

After getting braces, you have to maintain them properly, otherwise, part of the braces may be damaged or broken. One of the most common problems during braces treatment is braces wire popping out of the bracket.

Braces wire may be popped out of a bracket due to brushing or flossing teeth carelessly, biting on hard foods, any injury, loosening of wire, short wire, or other issues with wire. You can use tweezers or small pliers to put the wire back in the braces, wax, or apply wax over it to prevent it from causing any damage.

However, you must seek your orthodontist to fix the wire permanently.

Here, we’ll discuss what happens if your wire comes out of your bracket, why this happens, how to fix it at home, and how to prevent it from happening.

What is the popped-out braces wire?

Braces treatment has two main components which are brackets and wires. Brackets alone can’t move your teeth. So, we, orthodontists, take help from the wires.

These wires are made of thin metal that can be bent easily so that we can give any bent to move the tooth in any direction.

This gives you advantages as well as disadvantages. As a result, there is a chance of braces wire coming out.

Now, you need to know all wires in orthodontics aren’t the same. We use two types of wire.

One archwire runs through all the brackets.

We give a curve bent to the wire. The archwire only pops out from the back of the braces as its last ends are inserted into a slot of the braces, molar bands, or buccal tubes.

Another type of wire is also used to hold the archwire that which is placed on each tooth separately. Those are called ligature wires.

When you visit your orthodontist for the braces tightening schedule, he or she uses this wire.

These wires can pop out of a front bracket or any bracket.

Is it normal for braces wire to pop out?

It’s not uncommon that your braces wire pop out of the last brackets, molar bands, or buccal tubes. In fact, many braces wearers complain about this after getting a new archwire. It happens especially when you get thin-sized braces wire in the early stage of treatment. However, it may also happen if you don’t take proper care of the braces.

Why does the braces wire pop out of the bracket?

Here are the causes of the wire of your braces popping out of the brackets:

1. Tooth movement

When the teeth start to move, the wire might come out from the back bracket after it completes the complement and the wire gets loosened. It may also occur even if the length of the wire wasn’t perfect in the first place.

2. Too short archwire

If the length of the archwire is too short, it may not stay in the slot of the last bracket or molar band. Each end of the archwire is inserted into the slot of the buccal tube or molar band on either side. These buccal tubes or molar bands are placed on the 1st molars.

So, when the bracket or molar band experiences extra pressure from chewing or brushing, it can be popped out of the back bracket or molar bands easily.

3. Poorly placed braces wire

If the archwire isn’t placed properly, it can come out of the molar bracket or even from the middle brackets.

During the placement, if it’s not placed in the slot rightly or not tightened properly with ligatures, it might come out when you eat or brush your teeth. However, a good orthodontist does the measurement properly.

Moreover, a ligature wire can also be popped off the bracket if it’s placed correctly.

4. Poor tooth-brushing technique

Many people brush their teeth putting a lot of pressure. The vigorous toothbrush can easily displace the braces wire and cause them to come out or last the bracket.

Moreover, it can also deform the ligature wires and cause them to pop out.

5. Wrong food habit for braces

Sometimes biting on hard and crunchy foods puts pressure on your tooth as well as braces.

This pressure transmits through the wire resulting in the loose and popped-out wire. This may lead to poking wires.

6. Poor flossing technique

A wrong flossing technique with braces might displace the archwire or ligatures. So, you may end up with the braces wire coming out of the back bracket or molar band.

7. Wrong selection of toothbrush

A toothbrush having hard brittles hurts the wire and deforms its shape.

8. Bad oral habit

Biting on a nail or pen and other bad bad habits may be responsible for your popped-out wire. This is because it can put unnecessary pressure on braces and wires.

9. Injury or accident

An injury or accident while wearing braces is very dangerous. This can happen during outdoor sports or an activity that has the risk of falling down.

And, if this occurs, someone not only has a popped-out wire and loosens braces but also damaged teeth and mouth.

10. Extra ligature wire after braces tightening

You may have a popped-out wire after the appointment if you or your orthodontist don’t notice it.

After putting the archwire, your orthodontist places ligature wires on each bracket.

After the tightening of the wire, the excess portion of the wire should be cut. However, any excess of the ligature wire can cause this issue.

11. Experimenting and playing with the wires

Some kids like to play with the wires. That can be an easy way to make the wire out of shape.

Moreover, handling braces needs expert hands. When you try to do the adjustment on your own or copy your orthodontist, you may end up displacing it and causing it to pop out the braces wire of the bracket.

Why does your wire keep coming out of my braces?

Braces wire can keep coming out of your brackets when you brush your teeth with too much pressure or chew on hard food. In addition, if the archwire is short and not placed in the last bracket or molar band properly, it may come off.

What happens if the braces wire comes out of the bracket?

If you ignore the popped-out braces wire, it can result in various problems.

The first issue will be it will stop working. It won’t put the right amount of pressure on your teeth and stop tooth movement. So, it will be delaying your treatment.

In addition, the wire that comes out of your back bracket will poke your cheek, back of the mouth, or gum of that tooth.

So, you will feel soreness and pain in that area. This can also cut your cheek or gum.

If the ligature wires that are attached to each tooth separately pop out from any brackets, they can poke the gums or cheek near it as well.

Moreover, if you let it untreated, over time it may cause an ulcer.

How to stop braces wire from coming out of the bracket?

Here are the tips to stop braces wire from coming out of braces:

1. Don’t do any experiments with wires

Stop any type of experimenting with braces. Don’t try to copy the orthodontist.

You may think you may tighten the braces on yourself or fix all problems regarding it at home.

But, it may make the situation worse. However, if you think of putting more pressure to move teeth fast, you are wrong.

This damages your tooth as well as wires. So, leave it to your orthodontist.

2. Don’t play with the wires

Keep your child from playing with other things. It can not only make the wire poky but also cut his hand.

3. Quit bad habits

Prevent your child from touching their mouth, or biting pens, or nails. And for those who have a habit like a tongue thrusting, seek the help of your dentist.

4. Eating soft and nonsticky foods

Eating braces-friendly food is vital since you start wearing braces.

Be sure to include soft and non-sticky foods in your diet. You must cut off hard and crunchy foods।

5. Brush teeth carefully

When wearing braces, brush your teeth according to the correct rules. Avoid putting excess pressure and stop yourself from deforming the braces wire with the toothbrush.

For this, you learn the proper technique of tooth brushing your teeth with braces.

6. Choose the appropriate toothbrush for braces

Check if you have a hard-bristle toothbrush. If this is, then replace it with a soft-bristled toothbrush and brush with it.

7. Learn the flossing technique while wearing braces

Learn and follow the right way of flossing your teeth with bracing. Always be cautious about displacing the braces wire.

8. Wear a mouthguard where there is a risk of falling down

During the game and in the cases where you are likely to fall, you must take part after wearing a mouthguard.

What to do when wire pops out of braces?

Here are the steps to fix a popped-out braces wire at home on your own temporaily.

1. Try to put the wire back with tweezers.

The first thing that you should try is to put the braces wire back the place. To do so, use tweezers to push the archwire back into the slot of the buccal tube or molar band. Do it by looking at a mirror.

If the braces wire is popped out from the middle brackets, you can also try to place the wire on the slot of certain brackets gently. Then, you can put elastic ties over it, if you haven’t lost it.

You can also apply the wax if you can’t put elastic ties over it.

If a ligature wire comes out, you can also try to put it back with the tweezers from where it came out from.

But, if you can’t place it on your own, you can take help from your family members or friend or visit the orthodontist.

2. Try to push the wire back with small pliers.

Simple to using tweezers, you can use small pliers to push the archwire back into the slot. Just do it gently without hurting the braces or your teeth.

3. Use a pen and pencil.

You can also use the back of the pen or eraser portion of a pencil to push the popped-out wire toward the slot of the bracket, If you are fixing the ligature wire, after placing the wire back and move it away from the cheek.

4. Use orthodontic wax.

If you can’t fix the issue on your own, you can simply put some orthodontic wax over it to hold it in place.

Learn the step-by-step method of application of dental wax.

That’ll prevent the wire from hurting or cutting your cheek or gum. You can eat and move your jaw freely because of the wax and get relief from pain as well.

But, it’s not a permanent solution. So, you’ll need to visit the orthodontist’s office fast.

However, before getting the wax, you should know which dental wax can be preferable for braces. So, check it out.

5. Cut the wire with a wire clipper or fingernail clipper.

If you can’t fix the popped-out portion or you have to face trouble pushing it back, you can try to cut it down.

However, you don’t need any big instrument for that. In fact, using a complicated instrument or something that an orthodontist uses may make the situation worse.

So, simply you can use a fingernail clipper. You can also use a wire clipper if you are comfortable with it. As the braces wire is thin and flexible, you can cut it easily with it.

After that, you can use wax if pain or discomfort still persists.

While cutting, be careful that the brackets don’t come out of your teeth.

Know about the correct procedure for cutting braces wire at home and its precautions.

Is popped-out braces wire an emergency?

Normally, a popped-out wire isn’t an emergency. However, you have to visit your orthodontist immediately if you feel the following problems and you can’t manage them at your home:

1. Bleeding from a cut that you can’t stop
2. Not able to eat due to pooped-out wire
3. Feeling pain during brushing teeth
4. Swelling and ulcer because of the wire

However, you don’t have to seek your orthodontist, you can stop all of these on your own.

So, consult him or her over the phone, if you can’t understand when you should visit him or her.

Whatever the case is you must go to the orthodontist as soon as possible, because a popped-out wire may stop the progress of treatment.

Moreover, there may be a risk of unwanted tooth movement that leads to a poor outcome of treatment.

Also, the tooth can’t be moved appropriately in some cases, if you try to control the situation yourself.

In addition, if you don’t visit your orthodontist soon, it will cause other problems after a while.

What to do if a wire comes out of brackets other than the molars?

Sometimes, you may experience a braces wire coming out of one of the brackets that are placed on teeth other than molars. If the archwire comes out of the middle brackets, it’s due to losing or damaging the ligature wire or elastic tie first, and then the archwire comes out. In that case, you can simply try to place the elastic tie or ligature wire on your own or take help from your friends.

If you can’t you need to set an appointment with your orthodontist to have it fixed. Meanwhile, put some dental wax over the place to hold the archwire.

Takeaways

Popped-out braces wire can be a result of an issue with the wire after braces adjustment, eating braces unfriendly foods, poor tooth cleaning technique, or an injury.

However, you can stop this from happening if you follow all the instructions of your orthodontist and prevent yourself from those factors that may cause the wire to come out.

You can solve this problem by yourself so that it can’t hurt your cheek and gums.

But, you shouldn’t be late to visit your orthodontist, otherwise, it may delay the treatment as well as harm your teeth.