Emergency Care
True orthodontic emergencies are rare, but when they occur we are here for you. As a general rule, you should call our office when you experience severe pain or have a painful appliance problem you can't take care of yourself. We'll be able to schedule an appointment to resolve your problem quickly.
You will be able to solve many problems yourself temporarily, until you can get to our office. If there is a loose piece that you can remove, put it in a plastic bag or envelope and bring it with you to your next appointment. If your braces are poking you, put orthodontic wax on the piece that's sticking out or poking.
After alleviating your discomfort, it is very important that you still call our office as soon as possible to schedule a time to repair the problem. Allowing your appliance to remain damaged for an extended period of time will result in disruptions to your treatment plan.
General soreness
When you get your braces on, you may feel general soreness in your mouth, and teeth may be tender to biting pressures for three to five days. Stick to a soft diet until your teeth do not hurt to chew. Irritated gums and other sore spots can be relieved by rinsing your mouth with a warm salt-water mouthwash. Dissolve one teaspoonful of salt in eight ounces of warm water, and rinse your mouth vigorously. If the tenderness is severe, take Ibuprofen (Advil) or Acetaminophen (Tylenol) or whatever you normally take for a headache or similar pain.
The lips, cheeks, and tongue may become irritated for one to two weeks as they learn a new posture and become accustomed to the surface of the braces. You can put wax on the braces to lessen this. We'll show you how!
Loose appliance
If your appliance is poking you, place wax on the offending part.
Loose bracket
If you have loose or broken bracket, call our office immediately to schedule a repair appointment. If your bracket or band is still attached to the wire, you should leave it in place and put wax on it if needed for comfort. If the bracket or band can be removed easily, place it in an envelope and save it to bring to your repair appointment.
Loose wire
If you have a loose wire, please call our office to report this occurance. If you are uncomfortable, you can use a pair of tweezers and try to put your wire back into place. It is okay to use a piece of floss to tie the wire into place. If you cannot put the wire into a comfortable position, and covering the end with wax doesn't help, as a last resort use a small fingernail clipper to clip the wire behind the last tooth to which it is securely fastened. If the end of the wire is still sharp place wax on it. Again, please contact our office to report the issue.
Poking wire
Using a pencil eraser, push the poking wire down or place orthodontic wax on it so that it is no longer poking.