 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.
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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 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 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 if 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 your local pharmacy. If the tenderness is severe, take aspirin or 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!
If you or your child is involved in a facial trauma which has resulted in cuts, tears of facial/oral tissues OR teeth have been chipped, broken, or knocked out, urgently call your family dentist as time is critical for knocked out or severely loose teeth. Seek another dentist or oral surgeon for assistance or go to your local hospital emergency room and advise that you need assistance in protecting the tooth. They may also reach a dentist or oral surgeon on staff to assist in a timely fashion.
There is a one hour window of opportunity to implant a knocked out tooth and have a reasonable success of over 5 years. It is important that it is not wiped but can be rinsed and then transported in water, salt solution, pool of saliva ( cup or retained in mouth) to keep the tooth moist. Your family dentist is properly prepared with appropriate anesthetic, reparative materials, X-rays, etc. to do initial treatment and perhaps implant the tooth, splint it, and prescribe appropriate antibiotics and pain relief medications.
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon
They are able to admit patients to the hospital and/or provide office care for acute trauma to gums, bone (jaws) and facial wounds.
Endodontist
They manage teeth that have been severely broken when the nerve has been exposed. They do root canal treatment to remove the damaged tissue and put inert fillings the length of the root canal. This is the preliminary care before your family dentist adds a crown or plastic buildup to make the tooth look normal again.
Periodontist:
These are specialists in gum tissue repairs and grafts in some specific injuries as needed.
Pediatric Dentist
Where extended repairs may be needed in a hospital setting for younger patients, these children's dentists have management skills to help soothe the tender ones.
Did you scan the Care Tips?
Most emergencies have to do with broken appliances and relieving the discomfort.
For serious emergencies that require immediate medical attention, please call us at (941) 792-1533 and listen to the message for further details. Our messages are updated frequently.
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