Are you worried about a bracket or wire coming loose from your braces while you’re having fun? Have you ever wondered if you could break your braces if you tried? Here’s a guide on how to break your braces (or everything we recommend you don’t do!). We hope you enjoy this tongue-in-cheek list to help you learn how you can protect your braces from getting broken.
Don’t Wear a Mouthguard
If you want to know how to break your braces when playing sports, whether on a team or just having fun at the park, it’s easy: don’t wear a mouthguard! Many sports don’t require that participants wear mouthguards, even if they require other protective gear, but mouthguards are important if you want to protect your braces and your teeth from getting broken, chipped, or knocked out.
Eat Something Very Chewy
If playing sports without a mouthguard doesn’t result in your braces getting broken, you can also try chewing some very chewy candy or food. Treats like caramel, taffy, and gum can do a great job at pulling those wires and brackets loose. Sticky, chewy candy can also get stuck in your braces, which can result in cavities if it’s allowed to stick around too long in those hard-to-clean nooks and crannies, so if you try this one then beware you might also need a trip to the dentist for a professional cleaning.
Chew Something Crunchy or Hard
Chewing something crunchy or hard can also be very tough on your braces and might knock a wire or bracket out of place. Foods like nuts, hard candies, thick pieces of chocolate, and raw carrots are all common culprits when we see patients for emergency visits.
Bite into an Apple or Corn on the Cob
We doubt your braces would still be in one piece if you tried all of these things (that we don’t recommend!), but if you’re still interested in learning more about how to break your braces, you could also try biting into an apple or eating corn right off the cob. We recommend cutting the apple into smaller pieces or cutting the corn off the cob because of how much stress it can put on your braces. But if you were to break your braces this way, it’d probably be the worst to break something right where it’s most visible when you smile.
What if They Do Break?
If your braces do break, take it easy! We’re here to help. We know that nobody really wants to break their braces, but things happen! Just give us a call ASAP and we’ll get your braces fixed as quickly as we can to ensure that you stay right on track with your orthodontic treatment plan.
Call our Bastrop and Pflugerville, TX, dental office, to make an appointment with a dentist who may be able to help you find out more about this topic, and improve your oral health.