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Why is My Braces Wire Poking Me?

Published in Orthodontic Issues 2 mins read

Your braces wire is likely poking you because the archwire – the main wire running through your brackets – has started to extend past the very last bracket, irritating your cheek or gum tissue.

Understanding Why Wires Poke

During orthodontic treatment, the primary goal is to shift your teeth into their correct alignment. This movement is facilitated by the archwire, which connects all the brackets on your teeth. As your teeth successfully move into their new positions, the length of the archwire needed to span across your smile can change.

The Role of the Archwire and Tooth Movement

  • Archwire: This is the flexible wire that is threaded through the slots in your brackets. It applies continuous, gentle pressure to guide your teeth.
  • Brackets: These are the small squares bonded to your teeth that hold the archwire in place.
  • Tooth Movement: As your teeth shift along the path set by the orthodontist, they move relative to the fixed position of the archwire ends.

Based on the provided information: Poking wires are a common occurrence because the archwire, which runs through the brackets, extends beyond the last bracket. This happens especially as your teeth shift and move to their correct positions.

Why Does This Cause Poking?

Imagine the archwire is like a train track, and your brackets are the train cars. As the train cars (your teeth with brackets) move along the track (the archwire), the end of the track can sometimes end up protruding further out if the overall span of the "train" shortens relative to the fixed length of the wire. This protruding end can then rub or poke against the soft tissues inside your mouth, such as your cheeks or gums.

This is a typical part of the process as your teeth respond to treatment and move towards their desired alignment.