What to do if you swallow part of the braces system

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Braces serve as the most effective way to correct occlusion and bite defects.

One of the significant disadvantages of orthodontic treatment with braces is its duration. The structure should remain in the patient’s mouth for 1-2 years.

During a long period of treatment, various troubles can occur, including braces coming off.

Any breakdowns of the system are corrected in the orthodontist’s office, but what to do if a structural element accidentally gets into the digestive organs or respiratory tract?

Causes of fixation disorders

Braces are used in dentistry for abnormal development of dentition. On average, the operation of such structures lasts several years. During this period, it is important to properly care for your braces and monitor their condition and integrity.

The main reasons that lead to violation of fixation are:

improper oral hygiene. In this case, we mean insufficiently high-quality teeth cleaning. When using braces, it is recommended to use special toothbrushes, irrigators, etc. They allow you to clean hard-to-reach places. Otherwise, the risk of plaque formation and caries development increases, and this greatly affects the quality of the fixing composition;
excessive consumption of hard or sticky foods. With constant excessive pressure, the system collapses;
sudden change of hot or cold food. Food that is too cold or hot will affect the quality of the glue;
jaw injuries. When struck or dropped, there is a possibility of not only the plate coming off, but also the arc breaking.

It is important to know! If a person notices that he is missing part of the structure, he must immediately inform the doctor about it. Delaying the situation leads to the development of undesirable consequences.

Let's figure out together whether it is necessary to remove teeth when installing braces, and for what purpose. Come here if you are interested in the types of combined braces.

At this address https://dr-zubov.ru/ortodontiya/apparaty/brekety/nalogovyj-vychet-za-ustanovku.html we will tell you how to get a tax deduction for installing braces.

Dangers of elements entering the esophagus

Experts say that contact with a structural element is not dangerous for the patient, since orthodontic systems are made from material that is biocompatible with the human body.

The miniature lock will come out naturally during the next act of bowel movement. In this case, the walls of the stomach are designed in such a way that, under the action of muscle muscles, the swallowed lock gradually moves towards the rectum area. The structure is subsequently passed out with feces.

The danger is posed by accidental swallowing of a fragment of the bracket system arch, since it has quite sharp ends that can injure the walls of the esophagus.

Such a situation can lead to the following consequences:

the formation of a through hole in a hollow organ (perforation);
inflammatory process in the mediastinum (the space in the middle chest);
decreased muscle tone;
partial paralysis of the lower laryngeal nerves.

In this case, the patient is sent for an X-ray examination, which allows the location of the metal fragment to be identified.

More often, the release of the element occurs naturally; in difficult situations, enveloping drugs are prescribed.

Something to remember! If a fragment of the arc gets into the digestive organs, it is strictly forbidden to eat, this will only aggravate the situation and provoke a deterioration in the patient’s condition.

As for the ligature, it is a silicone or wire structural element that is used to secure the arc in the lock. During eating, they often fly off and enter the stomach along with food.

However, swallowing these parts does not pose a particular danger to human health; the silicone elements come out during the next act of defecation, and the wire products are dissolved by gastric juice.

How often are they replaced?

Let me remind you once again that the arches “according to custom” change on average once every two months. I spent the first and second months with one pair of arches, and in the third month they changed the arches. And now the sixth month has already passed, and of course I’m sure there will be a grand update in the seventh - a new pair of arcs.

But then another “NO!” comes to me. So what is it? This is a shame, but that’s what I hoped for.

According to the orthodontist, the condition and position of my teeth are not yet ready for arch replacement. Nothing can be done, not ready means not ready. He knows better!

And again, instead of a new pair of arches, I received a new package of elastic rods (elastics) - the rods are still the same, rabbits. Wear the same as in the fifth and sixth months. To push the lower jaw back.

If the case is standard, then the process of changing the arc is performed, as a rule, only three times. For complex malocclusions, longer treatment and increased rigidity of the material are usually required. How many times the arches will have to be replaced in these cases, only a specialist can say when drawing up an individual treatment plan.

Sometimes force majeure situations arise - clients often come to the clinic with complaints that the arch has flown out of the last bracket, bent or broken. In some cases, only an emergency replacement can help. In general, the arch quite often jumps out of the braces, and this should be treated calmly, without panic. If it falls off, you may have to wait a while until it is replaced. There is nothing critical about this.

Changing the arc does not take much time and does not cause any discomfort. The orthodontist removes old ligatures or opens the clasps on braces, removes the damaged structural element and installs a new one. During a planned replacement, both arches are updated at once.

Inhalation of small parts

There are cases of not only swallowing braces, but also inhaling small parts. This situation is considered very dangerous, since there is a risk of the element blocking the access of oxygen to the respiratory organs, including getting into the lungs.

Unfortunately, it is impossible to remove the element from the lung tissue without the help of specialists. A section of a metal arc can block the opening in the trachea or bronchi, thereby causing an attack of suffocation.

If timely assistance is not provided, the patient very quickly begins an inflammatory process, which is accompanied by an abscess.

Self-medication leads to the development of serious complications and poses a direct threat to human life.

In this case, it is necessary to immediately call an ambulance and provide emergency measures to the patient before arriving.

Actions of specialists

Timely diagnosis and treatment increases the chances of a positive outcome. Depending on the location of the structural element, a diagnostic method is selected and a treatment plan is drawn up:

If part of the arc enters the esophagus, the patient is sent for a mandatory X-ray examination. The image will allow you to clearly determine the location of the fragment and assess the degree of danger to human health. In some cases, the patient may be prescribed laxatives that will help speed up the process of the part coming out.
If a fragment enters the respiratory system, auscultation is performed. The method consists of listening to the patient’s chest, during which the work of the internal organs (noises, wheezing, etc.) is clearly visible.
The bronchoscopy method is also used for diagnosis. Before this, the patient will definitely be sent for blood and urine tests, a chest x-ray and a cardiogram. Some people use medication-induced sleep to fully perform bronchoscopy (with a strong gag reflex).

The procedure is carried out in a hospital setting and consists of the following:

To suppress the gag reflex, the patient's throat is sprayed with a special agent.
Then the patient is placed on the couch with his head tilted back slightly. It is very important to remain calm throughout the procedure and not make sudden movements. While moving the bronchoscope along the trachea, discomfort may occur, but it does not interfere with normal breathing.
The bronchoscope is inserted through one of the nostrils along the nasal passage, then into the trachea. When using a rigid type of tube, administration is carried out only through the patient's mouth.
Then, using a camera attached to the end of the tube, the doctor carefully examines all of the patient's airways. If a foreign body is detected, it is carefully removed.

In general, the entire procedure does not take more than 15 minutes. Until recovery from anesthesia, the patient is prohibited from drinking or eating.

Over the next day, you may experience discomfort such as a sore throat or increased cough reflex. It is forbidden to swallow saliva, it must be spat out. Otherwise, the risk of involuntarily choking increases.

To prevent infection when part of the bracket is inhaled, the patient is prescribed a complex of antibiotics and antispasmodics. Conservative treatment methods include the use of medications that have an enveloping effect and help the brace area to advance.

Read about how rubber bands are worn on braces and how often they need to be changed. In this publication you will find rules for caring for braces.

Here https://dr-zubov.ru/ortodontiya/apparaty/brekety/vozniknovenie-i-ustranenie-boli-v-raznye-periody.html we will tell you how long the pain lasts after installing braces.

First aid

Complications from untimely provision of first aid can be very diverse - bleeding, pneumonia, acute infectious process, sepsis, asphyxia, etc.

The degree of damage depends on the area of the brace system and its location inside the respiratory tract.

Before the doctors arrive, the patient is strictly forbidden to cough, this will greatly aggravate the situation. As first aid it is recommended:

Tilt the patient's torso slightly forward and lightly tap between the shoulder blades.
Standing behind the person, tightly clasp his chest with your hands and press on the epigastric zone with your thumb. If necessary, repeat the procedure again.

What to do if part of the brace was swallowed

Not everyone can swallow a brace or a piece of wire from braces. Usually, when the structure comes off during a meal, the patient feels changes. However, some people are accustomed to the fact that the arc pops out from time to time. They think they will fix the situation after finishing the meal. But when they finish eating, they realize that a piece of the arch from the braces or the lock and ligature itself are missing in their place. Only one option comes to mind - the structure was quietly swallowed.

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In this case, you must immediately report the incident to your doctor. It is better to call an ambulance and find out what to do in such a situation. You can also notify your treating orthodontist and follow his recommendations. When the risk to life is eliminated, the “lost” structure will have to be restored.

Arc

A piece of wire from a brace system that has entered a person's esophagus creates a serious danger. This design is a rigid wire. It is so strong that it can shift the position of teeth.

When swallowing a piece of arc, you don’t have to expect it to be digested or dissolved. The sharp ends of the wire can scratch the larynx, damage the esophagus or pierce the intestines. All this is fraught with internal bleeding, which can be fatal. Waiting in such a situation is dangerous. It is necessary to urgently seek medical help.

Important!
It is unacceptable to provoke vomiting on your own, since when passing back, the piece can also damage the esophagus or get stuck.

Ligatures

Ligatures in the teeth are needed to fix the bracket to the corrective arch. They are made from hypoallergenic and safe material, so they do not pose a threat to the patient’s health. If you accidentally swallow a rubber ligature, there is no need to worry. It is soft and cannot injure the mucous membrane of the esophagus, stomach or intestines. Therefore, a swallowed ligature usually comes out on its own after 2 to 3 days.

Doctors treat a swallowed ligature differently if it is made of hard metal. This design, by analogy with a corrective arc, can damage soft tissues and cause bleeding.

Locks

The locks are securely attached to the enamel surface and, if the rules for using braces are followed, cannot come off on their own. However, sometimes when chewing, pieces of food can tear off the retainer.

A swallowed brace does not cause serious concern among doctors, since the structures are made of safe materials. If the integrity of the lock is not broken, then it cannot scratch the mucous membrane, since it has streamlined boundaries. In this case, it is also worth reporting the incident to a doctor and remaining under the supervision of specialists for several days.

Inhalation of small parts of the brace

If you inhale a piece of a retainer, brace or ligature, you should immediately call an ambulance. In the first minutes, it may seem to the patient that nothing terrible has happened, and that his state of health is normal. However, the risk of lower respiratory injury or swelling gradually increases.

Important!
You cannot hit the back in the hope that the wire will pop out on its own. Such actions will only push the foreign object even deeper.

If a person coughs, then everything is not so bad, since this reflex is protective. When a swallowed brace does not allow breathing, it is necessary to provide first aid to the patient - stand from behind, hug with your arms and place your hands in a lock 2 fingers below the xiphoid process, and then apply sharp pressure several times.

Inhalation of small parts of an orthodontic appliance can cause suffocation and death.

Precautionary measures

To prevent unpleasant incidents, doctors recommend carefully monitoring the integrity of the structure. If you find a missing part or deformation of the system, you should definitely inform your doctor about it.

In addition, it should be remembered that orthodontic systems require proper hygiene procedures and restrictions on the use of certain products.

Precautionary measures also include:

During operation of the systems, possible injuries to the jaw, impacts, etc. must be avoided.
Regular visits to the dentist will help avoid the development of caries and other dental diseases, which often lead to structural destruction.
If a fragment of the structure accidentally comes off, you should not delay a visit to the orthodontist. Otherwise, there is a deterioration in the integrity of the entire system, which negatively affects the process of teeth straightening.

In the video, an orthodontic patient tells her story of swallowing a brace.

Price

So, what did they do to me, and how much does the braces cost for this month? At an appointment with the orthodontist, they glued the braces on me, replaced the ligatures, and gave me new traction. This:

Replacement of ligatures on both jaws (activation) – 1110 rubles
Ligatures – 112 rubles
Elastic bands (elastics) – 500 rubles

We suggest you familiarize yourself with How to make a dental impression for a crown

The total cost with the discount was 1,550 rubles. Plus, during the month I came to have my braces glued. How much does it cost to glue a brace? Gluing the braces cost me 100 rubles.

In the end, for the 7th month with braces, I paid 1,650 rubles. Fine.

Reviews

Patients who use braces to correct their bite do not often experience one of the parts getting into their internal organs. In dental practice, however, there have been cases of swallowing a lock, a piece of an arch and a ligature.

This process did not cause serious complications for the patient; the swallowed areas left the body without medical attention. Inhalation of parts of a structure is very rare, but removing them, with modern equipment, does not create difficulties.

If you have experienced braces being swallowed during use, you can share your feelings by leaving a comment on this article.

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