Emergency Care
Our office is committed to making your orthodontic experience as comfortable as possible. Please contact us at anytime with questions or concerns about your treatment.
If you have an orthodontic emergency during normal office hours, please call our office to schedule an emergency appointment. Should an emergency occur after hours, please call our office and an emergency number will be available for you. 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. 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
If a wire is causing an irritation, try using a pencil eraser to push the wire down or place wax on it to alleviate the discomfort.
Loose Bracket or Band
If a bracket or band comes loose, call the office as soon as possible for advice. Sometimes it is important to re-bond the brace right away but most of the time it is okay to wait until your next appointment. 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 tweezers, try to place your wire back into place. If doing this and using wax does not 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 or Removable Appliance Does Not Fit
It is important that appliances are properly adjusted and worn as instructed by the orthodontist. If the facebow or other wires on an appliance are bent, please call our office for an adjustment.
General Soreness
Most orthodontic patients experience some general tooth soreness for a few days after braces are placed and after routine adjustments. Non-aspirin pain relievers or ibuprofen can help to ease the discomfort. 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.