Common Emergencies and How To Treat Them

 

 

SOME ORTHODONTIC PROBLEMS CAN BE DEALT WITH BY
YOURSELF AT HOME. IF A COMFORT VISIT TO YOUR
ORTHODONTIC SPECIALIST IS NOT POSSIBLE.
The following section provides suggestions on how to deal with some of these problems:

• Tooth pain after the braces have been adjusted
  o Take whatever you would for a mild headache. Advil (Ibuprofen) is best as long as
  you don’t have a stomach ulcer or allergy to Ibuprofen. If you would rather take Tylenol (Acetometaphine) or something else, refer to dosage on the bottle.

•  Irritation of lips and cheeks
  o Do salt water rinses a few times a day (8oz glass of warm water with one tsp of salt)
  o Cover areas of irritation with wax

• Brace is knocked during sport or while eating a hard food
  o Move bracket beside the adjacent tooth and isolate with wax
  o Call the office to see if there is a need to come in sooner than your scheduled appointment to rebond the bracket. If in early stages of treatment it is not necessary to rebond the bracket as it will not lengthen or interrupt treatment time in any way.

• Elastic Hook Off
  o All of the brackets have built in wings on them. If a hook comes off you can still wear your elastics. Wrap the elastic around the bracket where the hook was and it will stay in place. Hooks are placed for a quick visual aid to find where the elastics attach. If you are unable to attach it to the elastic, discontinue use of elastics on both sides until a hook can be replaced.

• Protruding Wire
  o If you are in the first 2 wires, those wires can be cut at home with a clean pair of nail clippers. If you are further along in treatment isolate the protruding wire with wax SOME PROBLEMS THAT MAY ARRISE DURING PHASE 1 TREATMENT Wire out

• Because phase 1 only engages the front 4 adult teeth and the 1st molars, there may be a tendency of the arch-wire popping out of the back molar brackets. If this happens and you
  are comfortable with it, the arch-wire can be slipped back into the molar tube using a tweezer to help guide the wire in. Please refer to the video for guidance.

• NOTE: In some cases where the space is being made by the coils on the arch-wires, the wire may end up being short and continuously pop out of the back bracket. If this happens
  please contact the office to make a new wire. Coils (springs) or tubing out

• Sometimes a coil or tubing will slide out when the arch-wire comes out of the back molar tube. Simply slide the coil or tubing back onto the arch-wire and guide it into place with a tweezer. Please refer to the video for guidance Coils (springs) partially spin off of the arch-wire

• Due to coils making space, there comes a time during the wait period between appointments that the coil may partially spin off of the wire. If this happens roll the coil between your fingers until it spools back onto the arch-wire. Be aware that spinning in one direction with continue to unspool it off of the wire and the opposite direction will spool it back onto the wire. Please refer to the video for guidance

IRRITATION OF LIPS AND CHEEKS
Irritation of lips and cheeks from braces rubbing tends to occur when the braces are first placed. Saltwater rinses for a few days will assist in soothing the tissue as they are adjusting to having metal brackets placed in the mouth. A 8oz glass of warm water with a tsp of salt a few times a day should do the trick. In some cases you may find relief by placing wax on the areas of irritation. Follow the diagrams below on wax placement

Relief Wax is available and can provide comfort while you get used to your braces. There are a few cases of wax in your new patient care bag.

To apply the wax, pinch off a small piece and roll it into a ball the size of a pea. Rolling it will soften the wax and make application a lot easier.

After the wax is rolled and softened, try to dry the area the best you can. You can use Kleenex or paper towel. Squeezed the ball into a small disc and then push onto the brace where the irritation is occurring.

Finally, the wax is pushed to cover the top and the bottom of the brace.

Typically, the wax is used when eating and it is not unusual for the wax to fall of and be eaten. There should be no concerns about eating the wax as there is no toxicity in the wax and will be passed with natural bodily functions.