What Are the Common Orthodontic Emergencies?
Although orthodontic appliances get better each passing year they are not indestructible and are prone to breaking if the patient doesn’t follow proper care practices, like avoiding hard and sticky foods, or maintaining proper teeth brushing schedule. So it’s best to have a familiar orthodontist’s contact number at hand for some situations that may occur. It’s best to go to the same orthodontist when possible, as they know your dental situation already.
Common Orthodontic Emergencies
Quite a few patients have some type of orthodontic emergency throughout their braces treatment, so it’s good for you to prepare just in case they may happen to you or someone you know who is going through the same process. You shouldn’t worry too much about the name orthodontic emergencies, this type of problem usually doesn’t require immediate intervention, and there is a variety of temporal fixes that one can use to avoid discomfort until their next appointment.
Loose Bracket
Brackets coming loose is a very common situation among braces wearers. If it ever happens to you, you should know that with proper care, it won’t affect your treatment at all. Just beware of the food your orthodontist told you not to eat while you have braces on.
If you have a broken or loose bracket, call your orthodontist and tell them about your situation. They will determine if your next appointment needs to be sooner or if the loose bracket can remain like that for a few days. It is also common for loose brackets to move around the metal wire or even just fall completely. To keep them in place, you can try using dental wax to stick the bracket against the teeth for the time being.
How to Remove a Broken Braces Bracket?
In reality, you won’t be fixing or removing your bracket yourself. As explained previously, you can try to keep it in place with dental wax or move it around the wire so it can fit snuggly somewhere along it. Try not to tamper with your loose bracket and follow your orthodontist’s instructions.
Wires Poking the Inside of Your Mouth
Given that your teeth are constantly moving around, it is pretty normal for the metal wire in your bracket to slip out of its position and start brushing against your cheeks or gums. Thankfully, most of the time, a wire poking out is a situation that you can deal with yourself. If you try to fix it without any success and the irritation is major, give your orthodontist a call. Depending on the severity of the problem, they will schedule you as soon as possible.
To try to avoid situations like this altogether, make sure to check your wires’ length at the end of each appointment.
What to Do When Braces Wire Is Poking?
Orthodontists give you dental wax for this kind of problem. Try taking a little bit of the wax and putting it at the end of the wire and press it firmly against your teeth so it gets stuck there. This should stop the wire from irritating the interior of your mouth. Remember always to wash your hands very handling your dental appliances and mouth.
If you are out of wax, you can either ask your orthodontist for more or go buy them at your nearest pharmacy. If neither of them is an option, you can try pushing back the metal wire with your fingers, a pair of tweezers, or even the eraser part of a pencil. Just make sure to sterilize them properly before using them. If you can’t push it back, you can attempt to bend it inward so that the poky side of it brushes with your tooth and not your inner cheek. Once again, remember to call your orthodontist to inform him of the problem.
Losing One or More Ligatures
Ligatures are either small rubber bands or tiny wires that keep your bracket attached to the metal wire going across your teeth, also known as archwire. If any of them were to come loose, you should try to attach them back in place with a pair of sterilized tweezers. If for any reason you can’t attach the ligatures back to the bracket and archwire or if the rubber band broke, you should call your orthodontist immediately as losing tension on your brackets and metal wire can create uneven pressure along the appliance; this can put on hold to your treatment progress or even backtrack if not taken care of in time.
If you are suffering from a dental emergency and wish to call us to know how to fix it, you can contact us here. If you require an appointment for any other reason, you can also book one with us here.