If you have been put in braces by our orthodontist, you can call the Parkcrest Dental Group office in case of orthodontic emergencies. Sometimes, it may be an issue that you can temporarily take care of yourself by keeping any missing pieces and bringing them along to your appointment.
We provide our patients with wax throughout their orthodontic treatment, so if any parts rub, it can be applied to help relieve discomfort. In almost all cases, if there is an issue with your braces, it is important to contact the Parkcrest Dental Group office as soon as possible so that a dental professional can assess the situation and help with any fixes needed.
It is never advisable to wait to contact your dentist in such an emergency, as any damage to an appliance may delay your orthodontic treatment.
When you get your braces on, you may feel general soreness in your mouth, and your teeth may be tender to biting pressures for three to five days. Stick to a soft diet until your teeth no longer hurt when you chew. Irritated gums and other sore spots can be relieved by rinsing your mouth with a warm saltwater mouthwash. Dissolve one teaspoonful of salt in eight ounces of warm water, and rinse your mouth vigorously. An alternative (better-tasting) mouthwash is the Healthy Gums Rinse by The Natural Dentist.
Our orthodontist recommends placing Orabase on the affected area to help relieve discomfort. Orabase can be found in a pharmacy. If the tenderness is severe, take Acetaminophen (Tylenol) or your usual medication for headaches or similar pain. Aspirin, Ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil), and Naproxen Sodium (Naprosyn, Anaprox) actually slow the tooth movement, so it is not advisable to use them frequently while wearing braces.
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 apply wax to the braces to reduce this. We’ll show you how!
If your appliance is poking you, place wax on the offending part.
Sometimes discomfort is caused by not wearing the headgear as instructed by your orthodontist. Please refer to the instructions provided by your orthodontist. If the facebow (metal piece) is bent, please contact us for assistance. The headgear should hurt less the more it’s worn, so be sure you get the prescribed number of hours.
If you have a bracket or band that comes loose yet remains attached to a wire on your appliance, use wax to alleviate any poking it may produce; however, do not try to remove it forcibly. If, however, either the bracket or band can be easily removed, you may want to carefully remove it, contact us, and bring any removed pieces with you to your appointment.
Try to put your wire back into place using a pair of tweezers or needle-nosed pliers. It is okay to use a piece of floss to tie the wire into place: tie the floss around the bracket in place of the missing colored o-ring.
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. For more information about orthodontic dentistry, contact our team today!
Using a pencil eraser, gently push the poking wire down or place wax on it to prevent it from poking.
