Swallowing a piece of braces wire is a common and frightening experience for many orthodontic patients. In the vast majority of cases, this event is not dangerous, particularly when the ingested piece is a small fragment, such as a ligature wire or a clipped end of an archwire. The likelihood of a complication arising from a small, ingested orthodontic wire is very low.
Immediate Steps After Swallowing
The initial reaction should be to remain calm, as panic can make it difficult to assess the situation. You should check your mouth and the area around your appliance to ensure no other sharp or loose fragments remain. If you can visually confirm the wire is gone, it is likely it has been swallowed, and the primary risk of it becoming lodged in the throat has passed.
Avoid attempting to induce vomiting, as this action can cause the sharp or jagged wire to inflict damage on the esophagus. Similarly, do not try to force the wire down by swallowing large amounts of food. Once you are certain the wire is not obstructing your breathing, contact your orthodontist immediately to schedule a repair appointment, ensuring your treatment progress is not stalled.
The Wire’s Passage Through the Digestive System
After a small piece of wire is swallowed, it travels through the gastrointestinal tract. The wire first moves through the esophagus and into the stomach, where the highly acidic environment begins its work. Orthodontic wires are made of corrosion-resistant alloys, such as stainless steel or nickel-titanium, meaning the stomach acid does not dissolve the metal.
From the stomach, the wire moves into the small and large intestines. The digestive system’s natural muscular contractions, known as peristalsis, propel the object along the canal. The process is often completed within 24 to 72 hours, though it can occasionally take up to four to six days. The wire usually becomes encased in food matter and stool, which cushions the intestinal lining as it is eliminated.
Signs Requiring Emergency Care
While the body is highly efficient at passing small ingested objects, there are rare instances where the wire can cause a complication. The most serious concern is that the wire could become lodged in the throat or cause a perforation of the digestive tract lining. This type of severe event occurs in less than one percent of cases involving foreign body ingestion.
Specific symptoms that signal a serious problem include acute or severe abdominal pain, chest pain, or difficulty breathing, which may indicate the wire is stuck in the airway or esophagus. Other clear warning signs are persistent coughing, vomiting, or the presence of blood in the stool or vomit. If you experience any of these symptoms, you must immediately go to an emergency room, as these complications cannot be addressed by an orthodontist.