Orthodontic emergencies can make anyone worried, which is why immediate care is important
Even though it’s rare for orthodontic emergencies to occur, they still do happen. Emergencies can be minor or serious.
If you have an orthodontic emergency, always remember the team at Straight Orthodontics is there for you.
Please understand that most emergencies will be seen during office or school hours. Which means it’s important to ask yourself whether the issue is minor of requires immediate attention.
Not all alarming issues are emergencies, as some signs are common. Loose teeth are generally normal while undergoing treatment as your teeth need to loosen before they can become straighter. It’s also normal to experience slight discomfort at the beginning or after an adjustment. However, if soreness continues, please contact our team at Straight Orthodontics.
Orthodontic emergencies can include
Food caught between teeth
This is not an emergency and should be handled by carefully flossing with a toothpick or dental floss.
Ligature comes off
The ligatures hold the wire to the bracket, and in some cases these small fine wires or rubber bands can come off. If this happens you may be able to put it back in place using sterile tweezers. However, if the ligature is sticking out and causing discomfort, bend it back down to eliminate irritation.
Please bring this issue to the attention of our orthodontist, so replacements can be made.
Loose bracket, wires or bands
If one of the brackets, wires or bands on your braces becomes loose, it can certainly cause discomfort. If a wire becomes loose, try using tweezers to gently put it back into place. It’s important to apply wax to irritated areas. Remember to visit us at your earliest convenience to have your appliance tightened
Bracket is knocked off
Brackets are usually attached to the centre of each tooth using a special adhesive. Usual causes of brackets becoming knocked off involve eating foods you are not meant to or by suffering an impact to the mouth.
If a bracket has become knocked off, please take care to avoid swallowing the bracket or incurring injuries.
Notify us as soon as possible so we can organise to fix your bracket.
Swallowed a piece of the appliance
In some cases, patients have accidently swallowed a piece of their appliance. If this happens to you, the best thing to do is to remain calm.
The swallowed piece will usually pass naturally. However, if you appear to be coughing excessively, the piece may be stuck in your airway. If this appears to be the case, you require emergency care and must be taken to an urgent care facility to have it located via x-ray and removed.
Please also notify your orthodontist immediately if this occurs.
Protruding wires
Sometimes the end of a wire can work itself out of place and cause irritation and discomfort. If this happens, and you cannot carefully push the wire safely against the tooth, then use relief wax to cover the wire.
In a situation where the wire cannot be moved and is causing extreme discomfort or pain and seeing the orthodontist immediately is not an option. You may clip the protruding section of the wire off and apply relief wax, however, please take care.
Seeing an orthodontist as soon as possible is important.
If any of these issues occur to you, with the exception of trapped food, you should contact our office and arrange an appointment, by clicking here. However, if the issue is serious and requires immediate attention, visit an emergency care clinic and contact Straight Orthodontics immediately.