Swallowed a metal bracket - help!

[kribbo]

Hi all, I've got Six Month Smile braces which have plastic brackets and metal ones holding on the wires to the back teeth. I've only had them on for 5 days. On the first day of getting them, I had a bracket come off and another one just disintegrate out of nowhere (faulty apparently). Then today, I was eating some thin pizza (very slowly and in bitesize bits!), when I felt my wire stick up and lose pressure on the left side of my upper arch. When I checked what had happened in the mirror, the metal bracket was missing - I've swallowed it! The wire is now just loose at the back.

Googling this, it seems it will probably just pass through my system, but I'm freaking out a bit. It has a small hook on it - could it get caught inside me somewhere? I feel sick just thinking about it!

I can't believe I have to go back to my dentist again - it will be the fourth time in one week! On Monday he told me (only half-jokingly!) that he really didn't want to see me again until my tightening appointment in 3 weeks. Obviously I'll have to call them tomorrow but I'm worried they'll blame me and think I ate something hard or view me as a "problem patient".

Just when things were starting to seem better as well!

Any advice/comfort/"been there done that" stories would be much appreciated!

Thanks,
Clare

[chichi]

I have not swallowed a bracket, but you aren't the first to do so and you certainly won't be the last. It should pass through your system just fine. Why would they be putting these things in our mouths if they weren't safe to swallow? (I'm not saying we should all start eating brackets, but it has to be expected that some people will end up swallowing them)

You're going to be alright

[sirwired]

You'll be fine. The little hook won't snag anything.

And don't worry about your ortho getting mad. Bonding failures (especially within the first few weeks) are really common.

[kribbo]

Thank you both! Will try to stop worrying. I just feel so disheartened as I've got so long to go and am worried things like this will keep happening. Half considering getting them removed as they are not essential, just cosmetic. Not sure it's worth the stress.

Will see what the dentist says but I genuinely think I may get a telling off as they questioned me about the last brackets in a very suspicious way! For what I'm paying them though they should give me a daily check up I think!

[djspeece]

For what we pay those guys should make house calls as far as I am concerned. Concur with sirwired, it will likely pass without incident, although if you have diverticulosis there is a miniscule chance it could get lodged there, so if you notice a significant increase in abdominal pain contact your physician. Drink plenty of fluids and make sure you check every BM for the bracket.
OK just kidding on the last thing.
Best of luck to you.

[DaisySmith]

Oh no Clare, can't believe you've had another bracket issue! It's not been a great experience for you so far has it! How awful that you felt paranoid that you were under some sort of suspicion lol. Sorry I know it's not funny but it is SO usually the sort of thing that happens to me so I can totally relate. I have an image of your dentist standing there with arms crossed "hmmm, Clare, are you sure you haven't been crunching down on pork scratchings young lady?" whilst casting a disapproving eye over the rest of your brackets.

Here's hoping no more bracket issues!! Good luck X

[kribbo]

Thanks for your reassurance everyone! I feel fine so far so here's hoping the thing has left me or will do so very soon. Don't fancy trying to find it but I'd feel a lot better if I knew for sure it was out! I work with a bowel specialist nurse and she just thought it was funny when I told her, so I'm assuming it's not too big a deal?!

Thanks Daisy, I honestly thought that was the kind of thing the dentist was going to say, I was that paranoid! He was actually very nice about the whole thing. By the time I got to him, I'd had no sleep and my anxiety was through the roof and I think he could tell! I told him I was feeling down about the whole braces idea and he was very encouraging - reminded me that, as sirwired said, bonding failures are common early on, and that plenty of adults have braces and get through it okay and that everything would get easier. I left feeling slightly better about it all.

Had a conversation with a colleague today about 6 Month braces - her daughter had them recently and she said the results were fantastic. She agreed her daughter found them awful at first, but that it does get better...until the tightenings! Her treatment time also ended up being 3 months less than estimated, but I'm not going to focus on that idea in case mine ends up taking longer...with the luck I've had so far that wouldn't surprise me!

Feeling a lot better about everything this evening so will enjoy that while it lasts because it's been pretty exhausting this last week! Thanks again everyone, this forum is the biggest braces help there is