Throughout the first few appointments as the teeth become aligned, the wire may become long and scratchy in the back behind the band. Wax can be used until a quick appointment is made to trim the wire. If the wire should become loose or broken and is poking, cut it as close as possible behind the next brace with a fingernail clipper and remove the loose part. Please do not remove the whole wire, as this will halt tooth movement and can lengthen your time in braces.
If a bracket breaks off or a band becomes loose, extra time will be needed to fix them. Please call the office as soon as possible, even if a routine appointment is already scheduled. Sometimes a small wire is used to hold front teeth together. Occasionally, this wire may become loose or break and can begin to irritate your lips. Simply by using the eraser end of a pencil, you can carefully push it back under the main wire to get it out of the way.