Emergency Care
Emergency Instructions | Parts of Braces | Foods to Stay Away From
Emergency Instructions
What to do in case of emergency
As a general rule, an emergency appointment is made when there is a loose band, brace, or appliance, severe pain, a broken wire or something sticking out that you can't take care of yourself. If something doesn't seem right and you have a question, you should not hesitate to call. Most situations can be handled over the phone. You should become familiar with the "orthodontic appliance diagram" in your handout materials. If you have a true emergency when the office is closed, you may reach Dr. Walton by calling our office phone number, 770-663-0955, to reach the emergency response system. Dr. Walton will be paged. Please remember the paging service is for emergency situations, not appointment changes.
General Soreness
You may experience some discomfort after your appliances are placed or after a routine adjustment. This is normal. Take Ibuprofen (Advil) as needed for pain relief. For persons under 100 lbs., take one (1) tablet only (200 mg) every 4-6 hours as needed to relieve discomfort. Soreness should end by the third or fourth day. A warm salt-water rinse (1/2 tsp. of salt in a small glass of warm water) will help. Eat soft foods for the first few days. Eating warm soup or drinking hot liquids after an adjustment or separation appointment will reduce tooth tenderness.
Loosening of Teeth
Do not be alarmed if your teeth feel loose. Teeth must loosen first so that they can be moved. Your teeth will become rigidly fixed in their new positions after treatment is completed.
Loose or Broken Braces/Poking Archwire
If a wire, brace or appliance becomes loose, don't become alarmed. Call our office for a damage assessment to plan the repair. If your band or bracket comes off, keep it in a safe place and bring it with you! If you are wearing headgear or elastics attached to a loose band, stop wearing them.
If a wire is poking, use a pencil eraser and carefully push the wire under the brace to get it out of the way. If your lips or cheeks are irritated, place wax on the areas to reduce the annoyance. If a wire comes out of a band, replace the wire by putting it through the hole in the back band. Wires can also be cut with wire or nail clippers. If a brace becomes loose, you may remove it by taking off the o-ring around the brace with a toothpick or just leave it attached to the archwire.
Poking Tie Wire
Tuck the poking wire under with a pencil eraser or the end of your dental mirror. If this is not possible, cover it with wax, cotton ball or gauze and call for a comfort adjustment.
Lost Tie
If the untied tooth begins to change position, call us right away for an appointment to retie the tooth. Do not hook rubber bands to an untied tooth.
Headgear/Removable Appliance Does Not Fit
If these appliances are not worn regularly as prescribed, they will not fit properly. Call for an adjustment appointment right away.
Traumatic Accidents
Use ice immediately to reduce swelling. If the teeth are severely traumatized or are displaced and don’t fit together properly, you may need to call 911 and/or seek emergency room services to manage the initial pain and trauma before you call our office. Patient will then need to be seen by general dentist or oral surgeon to evaluate for any bone fractures. If, on the other hand, the injury is minor and archwires are bent or soft tissue is impaled on the braces, schedule an appointment immediately in our office.
Soft Tissue Impingement
Call our office for a comfort adjustment to relieve the offending portion of the appliance. You may be able to pull a hook or loop out or push it in to relieve discomfort.
Lost Separators
Floss the contact between the teeth where the separator was lost. If the contact is open, you should be okay. If it is tight, call the office for us to replace the separator.
Irritated Cheeks, Lips or Tongue
Brackets may irritate soft tissues initially until the tissues toughen (as hands callous). Soft wax or cotton balls ease the discomfort as does a warm salt-water rinse or Orabase-B ointment (with Benzocaine).
Athletics
If you take part in athletics, it is important that you consult us for special precautions. Mouth guards are indicated in almost all circumstances. We can recommend the most appropriate type for your particular needs.
Staining of Clear Brackets and Ties
Avoid coffee, tea, red wine, mustard, curry, spaghetti sauce, tobacco smoke and dill pickle juice.
Loose Bonded Expander
Stop turning the screw and report the problem. If the expander comes off, wear it like a retainer to maintain expansion. You may have to turn back the screw to make it fit. Remove after every meal to clean the teeth.
Set aside Sunday as a day to check for damage. Go to the mirror and gently check each band and bracket by attempting to lift the attachment away from the tooth. Any movement away from the tooth indicates a loose band or bracket. Please call early Monday morning for a damage assessment appointment.
Parts of Braces
Foods to Stay Away From
For the most part, common sense will tell you what to avoid. Hard foods, sticky foods and foods high in sugar must be avoided. Hard foods can break or damage wires and brackets. Sticky foods can get caught between brackets and wires. Minimize sugary foods; they cause tooth decay and related problems. Nail biting, pencil and pen chewing and chewing on foreign objects should be avoided.