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Here at the office, Dr. Sheinis and the Shiney Smiles Orthodontics crew spend a lot of time thinking about the best ways to make your experience with orthodontic care as smooth as possible. That being said, there are definitely some setbacks that it can be easy to fall into when it comes to your care. So how can you avoid common orthodontic setbacks? Read on to find out!
Small Missteps Can Slow Your Progress
Even the most careful patients sometimes experience delays. Brackets loosen, wires poke, or teeth shift after treatment ends. These aren’t inevitable. Many setbacks stem from everyday habits, ill-timed bites, or skipped steps. By understanding how and why these happen, you can protect your treatment timeline and keep your smile journey on track in Huntington.
Broken Brackets & Loose Wires
Why Brackets Break and Wires Loose
Brackets are bonded to your teeth with an adhesive meant to hold under everyday conditions, not under stress. When you bite into something too hard, such as ice, nuts, or uncut candy, you risk exceeding what that bond can handle. That force can crack the adhesive or pop a bracket off. Similarly, wires can twist or shift if pressure is uneven or if a loose bracket no longer holds the wire securely in place.
Prevention & Quick Recovery
The smartest prevention is avoiding high-risk foods and being cautious during meals. Use scissors or cut items into small, manageable pieces so your bite force isn’t extreme. If a bracket does come loose or a wire shifts, don’t try to force it back. Apply a bit of orthodontic wax to keep it stabilized, and call the Shiney Smiles Orthodontics office to schedule a fix before it causes further damage.
Poking Wires & Soft Tissue Irritation
How Wires Protrude
After an adjustment or as teeth move, wires sometimes come loose at the ends or shift into soft tissues. That means your cheek, lip, or tongue may suddenly feel a sharp poke. It’s an easy setback because it happens quietly, often the very next day after an adjustment, when the wire hasn’t yet “settled” with the new alignment.
What You Can Do Immediately
If a wire is poking, the easiest fix is orthodontic wax: roll a small piece and stick it over the protruding end. That gives your tissue a cushion and stops irritation in its tracks. For longer wires, you can carefully clip just the very tip with sanitized nail clippers (only if you’re confident you’re only removing the part that pokes). Then call Shiney Smiles Orthodontics to come in and properly trim or adjust the wire so you avoid causing damage or shifting.
Poor Oral Hygiene & Enamel Stains
One of the most silent setbacks comes from neglecting your cleaning routine. Brackets and wires make teeth harder to clean, and if plaque builds up, it can lead to white spot lesions or patchy enamel. These spots are permanent marks of demineralization. Your smile may shift, but those stains stay unless treated.
Keeping a steady, careful hygiene routine protects both your teeth and your treatment. Brush thoroughly twice daily, floss using a threader or super floss, and use an antimicrobial or fluoride rinse each evening. When you skip or rush these steps, plaque grows faster than you might see, especially on surfaces around brackets. At Shiney Smiles Orthodontics, we often spot early enamel changes during appointments. That’s why we emphasize daily care as opposed to just chairside corrections.
Relapse After Treatment & Retainer Neglect
Just because your braces come off doesn’t mean your job is done. After treatment, your teeth will naturally want to shift back toward their original positions unless you maintain alignment. That’s relapse, and it’s one of the most frustrating setbacks.
Retainers are the main defense against relapse, but only if worn consistently. Whether your retainer is removable or fixed, follow your orthodontist’s instructions to the letter. Wear time, cleaning, and storage matter. Missing retainer wear or skipping checkups can undo crowning months or years of effort. At Shiney Smiles Orthodontics, we make sure you know exactly how and when to wear your retainer, and we check it regularly to catch any drifting before it becomes serious.
Missed Visits & Compliance Lapses
Skipping appointments might seem small, but it can slow your entire progression. Each visit serves to adjust forces, monitor movement, and correct small issues before they grow. When you skip one, adjustments might lag, and wires may overflex or underperform.
To stay the course, use reminders like phone alerts, calendar blocks, or just whatever works for you. Think of appointments as checkpoints, not optional extras. And communicate early if something feels off, like loose hardware, irritation, or unexpected movement. At Shiney Smiles Orthodontics, we provide emergency care and adjustments so small issues don’t turn into big setbacks.
We’re Here to Help!
From your first consultation to your final adjustment, Dr. Sheinis and the team focus on making every step predictable, effective, and comfortable. That means checking in on your appliances, making sure brackets stay secure, and catching early signs of irritation or relapse before they become real problems.
Each visit is a chance to make sure you understand your care, have the right tools at home, and know how to respond if something feels off. Between visits, the office stays connected through calls, texts, and virtual check-ins, so even a small concern gets attention fast.
With that level of support, setbacks don’t have a chance to build. Shiney Smiles Orthodontics helps you stay on track, feel confident in your care, and finish treatment knowing your smile is strong, healthy, and built to last.
Let’s Get Started!
And there you have it! Now that you’ve gotten more familiar with how to take care of common orthodontic setbacks, it’s the perfect time to get started on your own treatment at Shiney Smiles Orthodontics in our Huntington office! Consultations with Dr. Sheinis are always free, and the best smiles of your life are ahead. We can’t wait to see you!