What should be done if a bracket breaks or a wire gets stuck in your shoulder due to eating a hard food during orthodontic treatment?

During orthodontic treatment, bracket breakage or wire poking into the cheek is one of the orthodontic emergencies that patients may encounter from time to time. If a bracket detaches from a tooth due to eating hard food, it usually remains hanging on the wire. In this case, the patient should not try to remove the broken bracket themselves, should be careful of the risk of swallowing it, and should immediately make an emergency appointment with their orthodontist. Because a broken bracket means that the tooth will stop moving and the treatment process will be interrupted. If the tip of the wire pokes into the cheek or lip, causing a wound, a small piece of “orthodontic wax” (protective wax) given to the patient at the beginning of treatment should be broken off and glued onto the poking wire to isolate the area. Afterwards, the patient should contact their dentist without delay to have the wire cut or adjusted.