Orthodontic Problems and Emergencies
Patients with dental braces will eventually encounter some problems with their braces and sometimes these can cause an emergency.
In both cases patients should contact their family orthodontist who will instruct them what to do. Although there are few emergencies,
you may come across some common problems with your braces during the course of your treatment.
Problems with Braces:
- Unfastened wires: occurs when the wire that holds the braces sticks out of the brackets gaps of the back of the teeth. If you cannot put it back into the bracket gap by yourself you can cover the loose wire with wax while you go to the orthodontist.
- Loose brackets: when a glued bracket comes loose. If this happens within the first 24 to 48 hours of having your braces placed it may be due to an issue with the bonding cement that pastes the bracket onto the tooth. If this happens after you have had your braces for a while it may be because you probably ate or bit into something hard. In both cases you should go to the orthodontist to get the bracket pasted again.
- Lost Elastic Tie: it is very common that the elastic ties fall off. In this case you can wait until your next visit to your orthodontists to get it replaced.
Emergencies caused by braces:
The most common emergency in orthodontics is when the patient experiences irritation in his or her inner lips and cheeks. Poking wires, poking elastics and the constant rubbing of the braces can cause skin irritation. Usually the irritation caused by the rubbing of the braces lasts while the patient gets used to the dental braces. Orthodontic specialists recommend a wax to put on the braces in order to minimize this irritation. However when the irritation is caused by a wire or other metal part that is sticking out the patient can get badly injured.
In many cases patients experience tooth pain and discomfort at the beginning of the treatment or when wires are adjusted. This is normal and will disappear within 3 days. To help alleviate this pain, patients can rinse with warm water, eat soft foods, and take pain medicine such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen. If the pain persists for more than 3 days it is recommended to get in contact with your orthodontic center.
In case of emergencies it is very important that you contact your orthodontist immediately to tell you what to do. If you do not experience a severe injury, but have some discomfort or tooth pain you can take some over the counter pain medicine. However if you have severe irritation or injury you need to go directly to your orthodontic center. You may put some ice while you get there. If you experience difficulties with your braces, go to your orthodontist as soon as possible and do not wait for a long period of time. Broken braces not only have the potential to produce injuries, but can also cause the treatments to take longer.
