We hope you will never have an orthodontic emergency; however, in the event you do need emergency are, call our office as soon as possible. Please do not come directly to the office – by calling us, you will allow us to create a time to see you. Even if you have a regular appointment scheduled, call us immediately to notify us if you need an appliance repaired. On this page, you can find some solutions to common problems you may encounter during your orthodontic treatment.
Pain or Soreness in the Teeth and Gums
During the first week after your braces are in place and routine adjustments are complete, you will likely feel some pain, soreness or discomfort. You may take acetaminophen or other non-aspirin pain relievers while you are adjusting to your new braces. A warm washcloth or heating pad may reduce the soreness in your jaws. We also recommend rinsing your mouth with warm salt water and sticking to a soft food diet until the discomfort subsides.
Soreness in the Lip, Cheeks or Tongue
Until your mouth has grown accustomed to the braces, you may feel some soreness or tenderness around your lip, cheek and tongue areas. If your braces are irritating these areas, place a piece of wax over the part of the braces causing the irritation. This will allow for the sore spot to heal until you are used to your new braces.
Wire Irritations
Sometimes discomfort caused by a wire on your braces can be resolved by moving the wire away from the irritated area with a cotton swab or eraser. If the wire will not move, try covering the end of it with a small piece of cotton or a small amount of wax. If the wire is painful, you can cut it with nail clippers or scissors that have been washed and sterilized in alcohol. If you cannot resolve the wire irritation, call our office for an appointment.
Loose Brackets or Bands
Call our office immediately for advice if a bracket or wire is loosened. The bracket may need to be re-fitted as soon as possible. You may have a situation that requires cutting a wire or sliding a bracket off a wire at night or over the weekend. If you need to cut a wire in case of emergency, you may use fingernail clippers that have been washed and sterilized in alcohol. Please call our office the next business day, so that we may schedule an appointment for you.
If the loose bracket is one which you are attaching elastic to, you should discontinue wearing the elastics and call our office for an appointment to repair the brace.
Loose or Broken Removable Appliances
If your removable appliance breaks or is loose, this will cause it to not function properly. Stop wearing the device and call our office to set up an appointment to adjust or repair the appliance.
Lost Separators
Most patients lose a separator during their treatment. Do not worry about losing a separator, but call our office to see if it needs to be replaced.