Be Ready For Anything
You probably won’t experience a true orthodontic emergency because they’re rare. But, since they do happen from time to time, our Phoenix and Chandler patients should know how to handle them.
Here to Help
The following orthodontic emergencies and their treatments are listed in the order from least severe to most severe.
Only the most severe emergencies require immediate attention by Dr. Paul Serrano or Dr. Andrew Serrano.
This isn’t an emergency, but it can be uncomfortable or embarrassing. It’s easily fixed with a piece of dental floss.
Try tying a small knot in the middle of the floss to help remove the food or use an interproximal brush or toothpick to dislodge food caught between your teeth and your braces.
You may be susceptible to mouth sores. While your braces don’t cause them, they may be made worse by irritation from braces.
One or several patches of sores may appear on the cheeks, lips or tongue. This is not an emergency, but it may be very uncomfortable for you.
Get quick relief by applying a small amount of topical anesthetic (such as Orabase or Ora-Gel) directly to the area with sores using a cotton swab.
You can reapply as needed.
Call our office right away for advice if a bracket or wire is loose. The bracket may need to be re-fitted as soon as possible.
You may have a situation that requires cutting a wire or sliding a bracket off a wire at night or over the weekend. If you need to cut a wire in case of emergency, you can use fingernail clippers that have been washed in sterilized in alcohol.
Please call our office the next business day so we can schedule an appointment for you.
If a wire on your braces is causing discomfort, you can sometimes resolve the problem by moving the wire away from the irritated area with a cotton swab or eraser.
If the wire won’t move, try covering the end with a small piece of cotton or a small amount of wax. If the wire is painful, you can cut it with nail clippers or scissors that have been washed and sterilized in alcohol.
If you cannot resolve the wire irritation, call our office for an appointment.
Most patients lose a separator during their treatment. Do not worry about losing a separator, but call our office to see if it needs to be replaced.
During the first week after your braces are in place and routine adjustments are complete, you’ll likely feel some pain, soreness or discomfort. You may take acetaminophen or other non-aspirin pain relievers while you adjust to your new braces. A warm washcloth or heating pad may reduce the soreness in your jaws.
This is rare, but when it does happen, it can be alarming. It’s important to stay calm.
If you're coughing excessively or having difficulty breathing, you may have inhaled the piece into your airways or lungs.
If you can see the piece, you may carefully attempt to remove it.
DO NOT try if you could cause harm.
If appropriate under the circumstances, examine your braces for problems that may result from the missing piece, such as looseness or irritation, and treat as specified above.
If you can’t see the piece and believe you may have inhaled it, call Dr. Paul Serrano or Dr. Andrew Serrano immediately.