Metal Mouth Message Board

My wire popped out of the back at the top right side this morning. I've been trying to thread it back in, but no luck so far. Does anyone have any tips on how to get it back in or should I try to get in to see the orthodontist tomorrow?
He did say it could happen with the first wire and that I can come see him to put it back in, but I feel bad ringing again since I was in last week for a poky wire. arghhh!

If the wire isn't in correctly, your teeth aren't moving correctly. There's really no way around it. You have to go back in to get it fixed (unless you have self ligating brackets, in which case they might be able to tell you how to open the door and pop the wire back in).

Don't feel bad about going back in. These things happen, and unless you were eating/chewing something you shouldn't have been, it's not your fault. Your ortho should understand.

Hi,

I agree with katsface. You probably need to make a quick trip in to your dentist.

I have self-ligating brackets and have learned to fix my own popped wires, but I actually had one of the techs show me how at one point when I was having a lot of issues with this. I'm 6 monthis into having a lower wire that is still a first wire and I still have a wire that pops out sometimes. Just this week, I was opening the door and putting it back into place. When it is the back molar that pops out of place, I usually have to do a lot of bending of the wire to get it back into position. The wires are flexible, but it can be quite difficult at times. I've had to go into my dentist when I couldn't get it myself.

I really wouldn't worry about it. It happens.

I have self ligating brackets and had the bottom wire slip out. I went in to have it fixed, which they were happy to do, but the tech just grabbed it with pliers and poked it back thru the closed door. She said I can try it myself or make an appointment if it happens again.

I have normal braces. The wire came out on mine once and I managed to use tweezers to feed it back in. This was when the wire was still a reasonably pliable one. I don't think it's possible with a square wire like have now.

This is one of the reasons I love my Damon brackets so much. I have an ankylosed baby tooth on the bottom (now sort of serving as a placeholder for a future implant) and they couldn't put a bracket on it. It can't move anyway. Because of that, I have a lot of give in my wire on the one side, especially when I had thinner wires, and it has popped out countless times. I taught myself to open the brackets and put the wire back in.

If you have self-ligating, most likely you'll be able to put the wire back yourself. I assume the story is different if you have traditional and either lose ligatures when the wire pops out or are unable to get them back on if you take them off.

Thanks everyone. Just traditional metal braces here. I rung this morning and will be going in this afternoon. Far from convenient today, but they're closed all next week, so it'll be a mad rush from work this afternoon to get there on time

I have a loose wire on my back damon bracket. How do you open the door to get it in? I have to wait for two weeks to get in.

Thanks,
Robin

If your back Damon brackets are like mine, the back brackets actually have tubes instead of the doors. If you are in a lighter round wire, you should be able to use tweezers and bend the wire enough to get the wire back into the tube. The thin wire will pop back into it's original shape with no problem. I usually use a dental mirror to help me see. (I found a cheap one that lights up at the grocery store.) If you are in a thicker rectangle wire, you won't be able to bend it back into place.

You may be able to use tweezers "slide" your wire to your intact side until you can get the loose end to align with your tube, then slide it back the other way as you insert it into your tube. At times, I've been able to do this with no problems with the doors closed. Other times, I'll open about every other tooth and repeat the process, then close the doors back up.

I've had lots of experience with this over the last 17 months. I had wire pop out of the back as recently as last week.

If all else fails and you can't get it fixed, I highly recommend silicone wax.

Good luck.

I will give this a try. Thanks so much.

Robin