Emergency Care

Orthodontic emergencies are rare, but when they occur we are available to you 24/7. If you get hit in the mouth, experience severe pain, or have a painful appliance problem, please call our office right away so we can help.

Many minor problems can be handled temporarily until you can get to our office, such as:

General soreness

When you get your braces on, you may feel general soreness in your mouth, and teeth may be tender to biting pressures for two to three days. Chewing soft foods and sugar free gum will help alleviate the pressure.  If you are very sore, taking acetaminophen or an anti-inflammatory, such as ibuprofen, can help. 

Irritated gums and other sore spots can be relieved by rinsing your mouth with a warm salt-water mouthwash. Dissolve one teaspoonful of salt in eight ounces of warm water and rinse your mouth vigorously.

Broken bracket

If your bracket is still attached to the wire, leave it in place. You can place wax on it for comfort.   If it is bothering you a lot, call our office, and we can remove the bracket.  If the bracket comes off of the wire, place it in a baggie or envelope and bring it to your next appointment (we’ll sanitize it and put it back in).  Give the office a call to schedule a repair.

Wire poking out of the back bracket

You can use a pencil eraser to try to push the wire back toward the tooth.  If the wire does not bend, place a small piece of wax on the end for comfort.  A cuticle nipper or small wire cutter can be used to clip the wire flush with the bracket.  If it is still poking (or you are not comfortable trying to cut it yourself), call our office, we can have you come in so we can clip the wire.