Emergency Care

If a brace comes loose, call our office as soon as possible. Sometimes it is important to re-attach the brace right away, other times it is not as “important” to replace a bracket immedietly. If you have a problem over the weekend or at night and need to cut a wire or move a bracket, please feel free to do so using clean fingernail clippers or clean wire cutters that have been washed and disinfected with alcohol. Please save any bracket or band (ring) and bring it to your next visit. Please call our office the next business day so that we may schedule an appointment for you.

Sometimes discomfort caused by a wire on your braces can be resolved by moving the wire away from the irritated area using the eraser end of a pencil or a cotton swab. If the wire is still painful, you may cut it using fingernail clippers that have been washed and disinfected with alcohol. Sometimes the wire has “slid” in the braces being short on one side and long on the other side, this can be corrected by sliding the wire or cutting the long side. Please call our office if you are unable to resolve the problem.

It is common for patients to lose separators during the process that prepares your mouth for braces. Most of the time separators do not need to be replaced.

It is normal to experience some pain during the first week after the braces are placed and again when routine adjustments are made. You may use non-aspirin pain relievers or ibuprofen to ease this discomfort. If your braces are causing jaw soreness, use a warm wash cloth or heating pad to ease the discomfort. The discomfort should subside after several days.

It is normal to experience some mild loosening of teeth during orthodontic treatment. The teeth must loosen first before they can be moved to their new position. Once held in the new position the tooth will again become rigid within healthy bone. If you feel your teeth are very loose please tell our office.