What to Do in Case of Emergency
Call our office as soon as possible if you break or loosen any of your appliances. Please do not come directly to the office – by calling us, you will allow us to create a time to see you. Even if you have a regular appointment scheduled, call to notify us if you need an appliance repaired. If you have an emergency after office hours and you are in severe pain and cannot wait until normal business hours please call the office and it will prompt you to leave a message and someone from our office will return your call as soon as possible.
Loose Brackets or Bands
Call our office for advice if a bracket or wire is loose. The bracket may need to be rebonded as soon as possible. You may have a situation that requires cutting a wire or sliding a bracket off a wire at night or over the weekend. If you need to cut a wire in the event of an emergency, you may use fingernail clippers. Please call our office the next business day, so that we may schedule an appointment for you.
Wire Irritations
Sometimes discomfort caused by a wire on your braces can be resolved by moving the wire away from the irritated area with a cotton swab or eraser. If the wire will not move, try covering the end of it with a small piece of cotton or wax. If the wire is painful, you can cut it with nail clippers or scissors. If you cannot resolve the wire irritation, call our office for an appointment.
Lost Separators
It is not uncommon to lose a separator during treatment. Do not worry about losing a separator, but call our office to see if it needs to be replaced.
Discomfort with Orthodontic Treatment
During the first week after your braces are placed or after routine adjustments are complete, you will likely feel some pain, soreness or discomfort. You may take acetaminophen or other non-aspirin pain relievers to relieve discomfort caused by your braces.