True orthodontic emergencies are rare, but when they occur we are available to you. As a general rule, you should call our office when you experience severe pain or have a painful appliance problem you can’t take care of yourself. We’ll be able to schedule an appointment to resolve the problem.

You might be surprised to learn that you may be able to solve many problems yourself temporarily until you can get to our office. If there is a loose piece that you can remove, put it in a plastic bag or envelope and bring it with you to your next appointment. If your braces are poking you, put soft wax on the piece that’s sticking out. If the wire has slid to one side, you can pull it back to the other side with needle-nosed pliers, replacing it in the tube on the back tooth.

After alleviating your discomfort, it is very important that you still call our office as soon as possible to schedule a time to repair the problem. Allowing your appliance to remain damaged for an extended period of time may result in disruptions to your treatment plan. See Braces Diagram

Typically this is not an emergency, but may need to be rebonded. 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 case of emergency, you may use fingernail clippers that have been washed and sterilized in alcohol. Please call our office the next business day, so that we may schedule an appointment for you.

Use a Q-tip or pencil eraser to push the wire so that it is flat against the tooth. If the wire cannot be moved into a comfortable position, cover it with orthodontic wax. Contact our office to make us aware of the problem and determine whether your child needs to be seen.

Sometimes an appliance can come loose or come out completely. If it comes loose on one side, you can try to rock it back and forth to release it from the other side. If for some reason you cannot get it out and it is causing pain, please call us. We will also need you to call the next business day to make an appointment to have it replaced.

During the first week after your braces are in place and routine adjustments are complete, you will likely feel some pain, soreness or discomfort. You may, with your parents approval, take acetaminophen or other non-aspirin pain relievers while you adjust to your new braces. A warm wash cloth or heating pad may reduce the soreness in your jaws.

Most patients lose a separator during their treatment. Do not worry about losing a separator, but call our office to see if it needs to be replaced.