Life happens.
Emergencies do, too.

Sometimes, braces can become broken or bent during your orthodontic treatment. If there are any disturbances, such as loose bands, loose brackets, broken or poking wires, please call our office to schedule an appointment during our regular patient hours.

To help alleviate some of the discomfort that can occur with a broken wire or appliance, we’ve put together a few helpful tips to get you through until we can see you.

• If a tie wire is irritating your mouth, cover it with beeswax or tuck it under the archwire with a blunt object like a pencil eraser or Q-tip.
• A loose band or bracket can generally be left in place until seen in our office. Call us during patient hours when you notice a loose band or bracket. We will schedule you to reattach the loose appliance if indicated.
• A broken or poking archwire can often be bent in with a pencil eraser or cut with nail clippers. Call us during patient hours if you do not feel the problem has been resolved properly.

Uh-oh! Direct injury to your mouth or teeth can make you worried.

We get it. An injury to your mouth or teeth when going through treatment can be a little scary, especially if you chip or knock out a tooth. Take a deep breath. We’ve got you.

The very first thing you should do if you experience a direct injury to your mouth or teeth, is to immediately ice the injured area and contact your regular dentist as soon as possible. Usually, an x-ray of the involved tooth or teeth is needed to determine the extent of the injury.

If a tooth has been displaced, knocked out, or fractured, it is best to contact your family dentist first, since we may not have the necessary materials or anesthesia required to treat these injuries.

If the appliances are dislodged or displaced, we will need to replace or adjust the appliances as soon as possible, after you have seen your general dentist, depending upon your comfort level.