Davison Orthodontics

Emergency Care

What is an Orthodontic Emergency?

More Patient Info

Emergency Care for Patients

True orthodontic emergencies are rare, but when they occur we are available for you. As a general rule, you should call our office when you experience severe pain or have a painful appliance problem you cannot take care of yourself. We will be able to schedule an appointment to resolve the problem.

You might be surprised to learn that you may be able to solve many problems yourself temporarily until you can get to our office. If there is a loose piece that you can remove, put it in a plastic bag or envelope and bring it with you to your next appointment.

After alleviating your discomfort, it is very important that you still call our office as soon as possible to schedule a time to repair the problem. Allowing your appliance to remain damaged for an extended period of time may result in disruptions to your treatment plan.

General Soreness

When your appliances are placed, you may feel general soreness in your mouth, and your teeth may be tender to biting pressures for several days. Stick to a soft diet until your teeth do not hurt to chewing. If the tenderness is severe, take Acetaminophen (Tylenol) or Ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil), whichever you would normally take for headache or similar pain.

The lips, cheeks, and tongue may become irritated for one to two weeks as they learn a new posture and become accustomed to the surface of the braces. You can place wax on the braces to lessen this.

Cold foods like smoothies or popsicles can help alleviate some discomfort as well!

Loose Appliance

If your appliance is poking you, place wax on the offending part.

Loose Bracket

If your bracket or band is still attached to the wire, you should leave it in place and put wax on it, as needed for comfort. If the bracket or band can be removed easily, you may remove it.

Loose Wire

Using a pair of tweezers or needle-nosed pliers, try to put your wire back into place. You may also use a piece of floss to tie the wire into place: tie the floss around the bracket and the wire to stabilize it. If you cannot put the wire into a comfortable position, and covering the end with wax doesn’t help, as a last resort use a small fingernail clipper to clip the wire behind the last tooth to which it is securely fastened. If the end of the wire is still sharp place wax on it.