Emergencies

Tips and quick fixes for dealing with common issues.

Emergencies

Orthodontic treatment often consists of wires and brackets attached to the teeth to guide them into the proper position. Because you have to eat and drink and move your mouth, even people who are very careful will occasionally find that something can break or come loose. If this should ever happen to you please call our office at 203-324-6171 and our team will be happy to help. Listed below we also have a few tips and quick fixes for helping you to temporarily deal with some common issues until you can get in to see us. Please feel free to contact our office if you are experiencing any discomfort or if you have any questions about your orthodontic care or your braces.

Solutions for common emergencies

These are just temporary solutions for common orthodontic emergencies. Please call the office so we can get it fix. We have same day appointments so we can get your right in! 203-324-6171

Sore Teeth

Each time we adjust your braces they push your teeth to the next position. That can briefly make the teeth sore at first. You may be experiencing some discomfort after beginning treatment or at the change of wires or adjusting of appliances. This is normal and should diminish within 24-72 hours. A few suggestions to help with the discomfort:

Rinse with warm water, eat a soft diet, and take acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil) as directed on the bottle.

Chewing on the sore teeth may be uncomfortable in the short term but feel better faster.

If pain persists for more than a few days, call our office.

Loose Bracket

Occasionally, a glued bracket may come loose. Brackets are expensive so don’t throw it away.

If it is completely loose, you can remove the loose bracket and save it in an envelope to bring to the office.

If it’s still attached to the wire and it isn’t causing you any irritation then leave it where it is and we will fix it when you arrive to the office

Call the office as soon as possible at 203-324-6171 and schedule a time to come in so that we can fix your brackets.

Poking Wire

If a wire is poking your gums or cheek, there are several things you can try until you can get to the office for an appointment.

First try a ball of wax on the wire that is causing the irritation.

You may also try using a nail clipper or cuticle cutter to cut the extra piece of wire that is sticking out.

Sometimes, a poking wire can be safely turned down so that it no longer causes discomfort. To do this you use a pencil eraser, or some other smooth object, and tuck the offending wire back out of the way.

Wire Out of Brace

Try to remember to avoid hard or sticky foods that may bend the wire or cause it to come out of the back brace. If this does happen, you can ask a friend or family member for some help.

They can use a spoon to hold back your cheeks or tongue and a flashlight to see well. They may carefully use needle nose pliers or tweezers to put the wire back into the hole in the back brace.

If they are unable to do this, you may carefully clip the wire with a fingernail clipper to ease any discomfort.

Please call the office as soon as possible at 203-324-6171 to schedule an appointment in order to replace the wire.

Poking Elastic Hook

Some brackets have small hooks on them for elastic (rubber band) wear. These hooks can occasionally become irritating to the lips or cheeks. If this happens, you may either use a pencil eraser to carefully push the hook in, or you can place a ball of wax on the hook to make the area feel smooth.