Orthodontic Emergencies
The following brief outline describes how dental emergencies are handled with patients in orthodontic appliances.
Dental emergencies that you may experience while in braces or other orthodontic appliances fall into two categories:
Direct injuries to the mouth and teeth
Following a direct injury to your mouth or teeth, see your regular dentist as soon as possible, whether or not your are currently under orthodontic care.
Emergencies to orthodontic appliances
You are likely to experience broken or disturbed appliances at some point in your orthodontic care. If you feel any disturbance, such as loose bands or broken or poking wires, call our office as soon as possible. This will enable us to evaluate the urgency of the problem and schedule you to be seen accordingly. In the interim, the following hints may help you remedy some common problems until you can visit our office:
Irritating Tie Wire cover it with wax or tuck it under the arch wire with a blunt object such as a pencil eraser, Q-tip or toothbrush handle.
Loose Band or Bracket can generally be left in place until you can schedule an appointment to reattach it. If uncomfortable, cover with wax.
Broken Archwire or one that irritates your gum or cheek tissue, try clipping the excess wire with small wire cutter or clean nail clipper.
After office hours
Our office is generally open Monday through Friday. We set apart time each day for emergencies so that we may schedule you as soon as possible during normal clinic hours. If you need assistance after clinic hours, please call one of the numbers provided on our after-hour answering machine.
