Emergency Orthodontic Care

True orthodontic emergencies are very rare, but when they do occur we are available to you. As a general rule, you should call the office when you experience severe pain or when you have a painful appliance problem that 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 temporarily solve many problems yourself until you schedule an appointment with our office. When working with your appliances, you need to know the names of the parts of your appliances so you are able to identify what part is broken or out of place. 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 in your treatment plan.

Even though you are careful, you may occasionally damage your appliances. We want our patients to be informed of problems that may occur, and understand how to solve them, at least temporarily, until it is possible to return to our office.

When you have just started wearing braces, you may feel general soreness in your mouth, and teeth may be tender to biting pressures for 1 day to 1 week. This soreness can be soothed by rinsing your mouth with a warm salt-water rinse. Dissolve one teaspoonful of salt in 8 ounces of warm water, and rinse your mouth vigorously. Placing an over-the-counter topical anesthetic on the affected area may also help. This soothing aid can be found in your local pharmacy or grocery store.

If you have a traumatic injury resulting in cuts to your lips or gums or if you have a loose tooth, please contact our office immediately. If you have broken any part of a tooth, you will need to contact your family dentist. If you suspect that your jaw has been injured or notice that your teeth have been moved by the accident, you may also need to be seen by an oral surgeon.

If you have an infected tooth or any type of swelling in the facial region it is best to contact your family dentist first. Remember that he or she is trained to handle a range of dental problems and can most likely offer the necessary diagnostic tools, anesthetics and treatments you may need. After the problem is resolved, please call our office so we may determine if any changes in orthodontic treatment are necessary.

If you are involved in contact sports, a regular mouth guard can be fitted over your braces for added protection.