Orthodontic Emergency
Having an Orthodontic emergency isn’t very common, but they can be uncomfortable when they do happen. Generally, you should contact us whenever you experience significant pain or have an orthodontic appliance problem that you can’t resolve yourself. We’ll be able to schedule an appointment for you to help eliminate the orthodontic emergency and care for the problem.
There are many ways that you may be able to temporarily aid an appliance issue until you can get into the office. If the appliances have a loose piece that is safely removable, you should place it in a safe location and bring it to your appointment. If your braces are poking into your cheeks or gums, you can place orthodontic wax on the area of the appliance that is causing you pain. If the wire has slid to a side of your mouth, you can pull it back into place with tweezers.
Even if you have managed to alleviate the pain, it is still important to contact our office to schedule a time to make sure the problem is resolved. Damaged appliances can cause your orthodontic treatment to take longer.
General Soreness
After obtaining braces, general soreness is common. This typically lasts for three to five days. It helps to eat only soft foods until your soreness goes away. Other kinds of pain can be eliminated by rinsing with a warm salt-water solution. If the tenderness is severe, it may be necessary to take pain medication.
The inside of the mouth may become irritated for a few weeks after obtaining braces. This will cease once your mouth has had a chance to adjust to the new, rough surface of the braces. Placing orthodontic wax over the braces can help eliminate this irritation.
Loose Appliances, Brackets, or Wires
If the appliance is poking into the inside of your mouth, you should place wax over the rough piece. If a bracket becomes loose, but is still attached to the wire, it should be left alone until you can come into our office. Placing wax on it will help eliminate the irritation. If it can be removed, you should place the loose bracket in a safe place and bring it to your next appointment.
If a wire becomes loose, you can use a pair of tweezers to maneuver it back into its proper place. If this isn’t possible and covering the loose wire with wax doesn’t help, you can use a sterilized fingernail clipper to clip off theloose area of the wire. This should only be done as a last resort. If the wire is poking the inside of your mouth, you can place wax over it. Using the eraser end on a pencil you can push the wire away from the cheek or gum tissue.
After Office Hours Orthodontic Emergency
We do not want you to be uncomfortable. If you have pain outside of our normal office hours you can text us at any time, and sending photos of your problem is typically helpful in resolving the orthodontic emergency. If you have a true Orthodontic emergency please call our office in Bountiful, UT immediately and our on-call staff member will be able to assist you.