Emergency Care

Orthodontic Emergencies: What to Do

A true orthodontic emergency is very rare, but when they do occur, we are available to you. As a general rule, you should call the office when you experience severe pain or when you have a painful appliance problem that you can’t take care of yourself. We’ll be able to schedule an appointment to resolve the problem. We can also be reached on our emergency cell phone which you can be connected with by calling our office phone number.

A Little Ortho Wax Goes a Long Way

ortho-waxWax is like duct tape in orthodontics!  It’s great to patch things up until you can get to us. If something comes loose on the weekend, don’t let it ruin your day. A loose bracket may slide around on the wire, but it typically doesn’t hurt anything until you can get in with us. Just use a little wax to secure it so it does not slide around and annoy you.

General Soreness

When you first 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. We highly recommend using your chew wafer for the first 3 hours before soreness begins. If you chew into the wafer really well, a lot of the soreness will be worked out. Sugarless chewing gum also helps with soreness. Don’t baby the teeth with applesauce, soup, and other soft foods. You need to work out the soreness. Think of it like working out. If you don’t stretch your muscles after working out for the first time, you will be even more sore.

Lip, Cheek, or Tongue Irritation

The lips, cheeks and tongue may become irritated for one to two weeks when you first get your braces. It takes time for them to toughen and become accustomed to the surface of the braces. You can put orthodontic wax on the braces to lessen this. We’ll show you how! Also, Orabase in your kit is great if ulcers pop up.

Loose Wire

Using tweezers, try to put your wire back into place. If doing this and using wax doesn’t help, as a last resort, use a small wire cutter from the toolbox to clip the wire behind the last tooth to which it is securely fastened.

Poking Wire

use a pencil eraser to adjusts a poking wire of your bracesUsing a pencil eraser, push the poking wire down or place wax on it to alleviate the discomfort.

Loose Appliance

If your appliance is poking you, place wax on the offending part of your appliance and call the office.

Loose Bracket

If your bracket or band is still attached to the wire, you should leave it in place and put wax on it.