Life with Braces
| Types of Braces
| Braces Diagram
Types of Appliances
| Retainer Instructions
| Emergency Care
Patient Care Videos
Emergency Care
True orthodontic emergencies are very rare, but when they do occur we are available to you at any time. As a general rule, you should call the office when you experience severe pain or have a painful appliance situation. We will 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 can be seen in our office. When working with your appliances, it will help if you know the names of the parts of your braces so you are able to identify what is broken or out of place. After alleviating your discomfort, it is very important that you still call our office to schedule a time to repair your braces. Allowing your appliances to remain damaged may result in disruptions in your treatment plan and increased treatment time.
The following solutions may help you to relieve your discomfort:
Poking Wire
Using a pencil eraser, push the poking wire away as feasible, or place wax to help alleviate the discomfort.
Loose Bracket or Band
If your bracket or band is still attached to the wire, you should leave it in place. If the bracket comes out entirely, save the bracket and bring it to your next appointment.
Loose Wire
Using your fingers or tweezers, try to place your wire back into place. If doing this does not help, use a small fingernail clipper to cut the wire behind the last tooth to which the wire is securely fastened. If your discomfort still continues, place wax over any sharp edges until you can be seen in our office.
Loose Appliance
If your appliance is poking you, place wax on the offending part of your appliance. Schedule an appointment with our office to be seen as soon as possible to correct the problem.
Headgear Does Not Fit
Sometimes headgear discomfort is caused by not wearing the headgear as instructed by your orthodontist. Please refer to the provided instructions. If the facebow is bent, please call our office for assistance. Surprisingly, the headgear may hurt less if it’s worn more, so be sure you’re getting in the prescribed hours.
General Soreness
When you first get your braces on, you may feel general soreness in your mouth. Your teeth may also be tender to biting pressures for several days. This can usually be relieved by taking Aspirin, Advil, or Tylenol.
The lips, cheeks and tongue may also become irritated for one to two weeks as they toughen and become accustomed to the surfaces of the braces. Placing Orabase on the affected area will help with this discomfort. This can be found at your local pharmacy. You can also put wax on the braces to lessen any irritation. We'll be glad to show you how!
Poking Wire
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.
Loose wire
Using a tweezer, try to put 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 facebow is bent, please call our office for assistance. Surprisingly, the headgear may hurt less as it's worn more, so be sure you're getting in the prescribed hours.
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 saltwater 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 whatever you normally take for headache or similar pain.
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!