True orthodontic emergencies are 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.
You might be surprised to learn that you may be able to temporarily solve many problems yourself until you schedule an appointment with our office. When working with your appliances, you need to know the names of the parts of your appliances so you are able to identify what part is broken or out of place. Please refer to the appliance (braces) diagram. 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 may result in disruptions in your treatment plan.
The following solutions may help you relieve your discomfort:
Poking Wire
Can be temporarily treated by using a pencil eraser, push the poking wire down or place wax on it to alleviate the discomfort.
Loose Bracket or Band
If your bracket or band is still attached to the wire, you should leave it in place and put wax on it. If the wire comes out entirely, wrap the bracket with a tissue. This is not usually considered an emergency, but you should call the office and inform us of the situation so we can determine the best time to schedule a repair. If you come in at the normal appointment or as a drop in, we may not have adequate time scheduled to make the required repair.
Loose Wire
Using a tweezers; try to place your wire back into place. If doing this and using 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 your discomfort continues, place wax on it.
Loose Appliance
If your appliance is poking you, place wax on the offending part of your appliance.
Headgear Does Not Fit
Sometimes headgear discomfort is caused by not wearing the headgear as instructed by your orthodontist. Please refer to the instructions provided by your orthodontist. If the face bow is bent, please call our office for assistance. Surprisingly, the headgear may hurt less is it's worn more, so be sure you're getting in the prescribed hours.
Lost Separator (Spacer)
In general this is not considered an emergency, however, our office should be called to determine if the separator(s) should be replaced prior to your next appointment.
Loose or Broken holding arches or Lingual Arches
Can usually be reseated with finger pressure and by limiting eating can be repaired within 24 hours. If there is definite pain or discomfort, contact us immediately and we will arrange to get you comfortable and appoint you for the repairs necessary.
Lost or Broken Retainer
The retainer should be replaced as soon as possible (within a week) to avoid any tooth movement. Please contact our office to schedule an appointment.
Loose Broken Herbst or Forsus Appliance
These appliances need replacement or repair as soon as possible (within a week) To ease any discomfort, try to tie the broken side to the upper or lower arch-wire with thread or dental floss and call our office immediately for an appointment.
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. This can be relieved by rinsing your mouth with a warm salt-water mouthwash. Dissolve one teaspoonful of salt in 8 ounces of warm water, and rinse your mouth vigorously. Placing Orabase on the affected area may help; this can be found in a pharmacy. If the tenderness is severe, take aspirin , Acetaminophen,or Tylenol. Various drugs, bioposphonates i.e Fosamax, NASIDs, may slow tooth movement, while thyroid,parathyroid hormone corticosteriods,and vitamin D may speed tooth movement slightly.
The lips, cheeks and tongue may also become irritated for one to two weeks as they toughen and become accustomed to the surface of the braces. You can put wax on the braces to lessen this. We'll show you how!