Orthodontic Emergencies

After you get your braces on, some people feel some soreness and teeth can become tender when you eat for three to five days after your braces are put on.

Saltwater rinses or the placement of a gum-numbing gel like Orajel on the affected area can reduce the discomfort. If those don’t work, ibuprofen can help relieve the tenderness.

To address irritation on the inner cheeks and lips, we suggest placing dental wax on the braces.

If you cut your gums, tongue or the inside of your cheek, apply finger pressure to the bleeding site for several minutes. If the bleeding does not clot, call your orthodontist or family dentist.

In case a rubber spacer falls out, take two pieces of dental floss and insert them through the spacer. Pull on both pieces of floss to stretch the spacer, then slide the spacer back and forth between the two teeth where it belongs.

Once the bottom half of the spacer slips under the tight spot between the teeth, release and remove the floss and the spacer will fit back properly.

You may be susceptible to mouth sores. While your braces don’t cause them, they may be made worse by irritation from braces.

One or several patches of sores may appear on the cheeks, lips or tongue. This is not an emergency, but it may be very uncomfortable for you.

Get quick relief by applying a small amount of topical anesthetic (such as Orabase or Ora-Gel) directly to the area with sores using a cotton swab.

You can reapply as needed.

If a bracket becomes loose, it usually remains connected to the main wire by a little rubber colored ring.

Eyebrow tweezers can be used to reposition the brace if it flips around the wire and becomes a source of irritation. Call our office and inform us of your situation.

If a wire causes irritation, push the wire away from the area using the eraser end of a pencil or a Q-Tip. If the wire cannot be tucked away, cover the end of the wire with a small piece of wax, a cotton ball, or a piece of sugarless gum until you can see Dr. Kovacs for an adjustment.

If the main wire has come out of the tube or pipe on your back molar tooth, attempt to reinsert the wire with a pair of needle-nosed pliers or tweezers. If the wire is not sticking you, place a piece of wax over the area.

If the wire is sticking you and wax does not help, the wire can be cut with a small wire cutter or toenail clipper close to the back of the last brace. This is a last resort if professional help is unavailable.

If a wire gets severely bent from a tooth hitting it, the wire can become dislodged from the brackets.

When this happens, there are two ways to handle it:

• Either use a tweezer to attempt to place the wire back into place
• Or, use a fingernail clipper to clip the wire behind the last tooth that it is securely tied.

Place wax on the excess wire if it continues to cause irritation and call our office so we can fix the wire.

If a piece of your braces breaks, save the piece and call our office to schedule a repair visit.

If you are in Invisalign treatment and you accidentally lose an Invisalign tray, please give us a call to see what can be done.

Everyone's treatment is prescribed differently, and resolutions can vary between patients.

Attachments are used in Invisalign treatment to help the tray fit your teeth and help move your teeth throughout treatment.

If an attachment is displaced or broken, the tooth does not move in the tray effectively, which may prolong treatment.

Call us immediately to see what can be done.

If a retainer cracks, remove the retainer from your mouth and bring all the pieces to our office.

Remain calm if you swallow a piece of your appliance. This will usually go into the stomach, passing out of the body in a bowel movement.

However, should difficulty breathing be experienced you should seek immediate medical attention. X-rays will be taken to determine the location of the swallowed piece.