True orthodontic emergencies are rare. As a general rule, you should call our office when you experience severe pain or have a painful appliance problem you can’t take care of yourself. We are available by phone/text for patient emergencies 7:30am to 8pm.
You might be surprised to learn that you may be able to solve many problems yourself temporarily until you can get to our office. If there is a loose piece that you can remove, put it in a plastic bag or envelope and bring it with you to your next appointment.
If your braces are poking you, put soft wax on the piece that’s sticking out. If the wire has slid to one side, you can pull it back to the other side with needle-nosed pliers, and replace it in the tube on the back tooth.
After alleviating your discomfort, it is vital 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 to your treatment plan.
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. Stick to a soft diet until your teeth do not hurt to chew.
Irritated gums and other sore spots can be relieved by rinsing your mouth with a warm salt-water mouthwash. Dissolve one teaspoonful of salt in eight ounces of warm water, and rinse your mouth vigorously.
If the tenderness is severe, take Acetaminophen (Tylenol) or whatever you normally take for headache or similar pain. Aspirin, Ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil), and Naproxen Sodium (Naprosyn, Anaprox) actually slow the tooth movement, so it is not advisable to use them frequently while wearing braces.
The lips, cheeks, and tongue may become irritated for one to two weeks as they learn a new posture and become accustomed to the surface of the braces. You can put wax on the braces to lessen this. We’ll show you how!
FaceMask
Sometimes discomfort is caused by not wearing the appliance as instructed by our office. Please refer to the instructions provided by Dr. Potocki. If the facebow (metal piece) is bent, please call our office for assistance. The headgear should hurt less the more it’s worn, so be sure you get in the prescribed number of hours.
Lost or Broken Retainers/Expanders
If a FIXED RETAINER wire is poking or loose, please call or text the office right away. You may use a pencil eraser to push it down until you can get in. Sometimes, a small amount of glue can be added to repair it. In cases where it is impossible for you to get in touch with us, fixed retainers can typically be removed with tweezers. Be aware that once the retainer is removed, it is important to wear an alternative retainer to prevent tooth movement.
If your REMOVABLE RETAINER is broken or lost, we recommend you drop off the plastic model of your teeth to the front desk to make a new one at a reduced cost. Should you not be able to locate the plastic model, no problem, just call & we will get you in to scan you for the retainer.
If you have a loose EXPANDER, please call the office or after hours number for instructions. We will likely want to see you on our next business day.
Loose bracket
If your bracket or band is still attached to the wire, you should leave it in place and put wax on it if needed for comfort. If the bracket or band can be removed easily, place it in an envelope and save it to bring to your next appointment.
Loose wire
Using a pair of tweezers or needle-nosed pliers, try to put your wire back into place. It is okay to use a piece of floss to tie the wire into place: tie the floss around the bracket in place of the missing colored o-ring.
If you cannot put the wire into a comfortable position, and covering the end with 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 the end of the wire is still sharp, place wax on it.
Poking wire
Using a pencil eraser, push the poking wire down or place wax on it so it is no longer poking.
