Do not hesitate to call us if you have an orthodontic emergency or questions about an injury and you need immediate assistance.
Though most patients seldom experience a true orthodontic emergency, if you have any questions about an injury, do not hesitate to call us. For emergencies after hours, our office answering machine will direct you to the appropriate person on call.
Orthodontic Emergencies Requiring Immediate Attention
Direct injuries to the mouth usually require a radiograph of the involved tooth to determine the extent of the injury. Please use the following guidelines:
- Call our office immediately.
- If orthodontic appliances
are dislodged, we will replace them as soon as possible.
- If you have a serious injury to the mouth involving braces, and you are unable to reach us, we recommend you call your general dentist or go directly to the Emergency Room to obtain appropriate care.
Broken Orthodontic Appliances
Broken appliances can occur from time to time during your care. Please call our office as soon as possible so we can evaluate the urgency of the problem and schedule you accordingly. The following helpful hints will remedy some of the problems until you can be seen in our office:
- If a wire is irritating your mouth, cover it with wax or tuck it under the archwire using a blunt object like a pencil eraser.
- For any broken appliance, call us as soon as possible so we can schedule you to reattach the loose appliance. Loose appliances create a higher risk for damage to your teeth.
- A broken archwire, or one that is irritating the gum or cheek tissue, needs to be seen as soon as possible for replacement or adjustment.
- A bent headgear facebow, or removable appliance that is not fitting well should not be worn until it can be properly adjusted in our office.
- For any emergency, please call us promptly. The sooner we are able to see you, the less chance that the damaged appliances will lengthen your overall treatment.
- If an appliance comes loose from a tooth, call our office immediately. A tight band actually protects the tooth from decay, but a loose band is extremely dangerous and decay can happen quickly. If a band or bracket comes completely off, save it and bring it in for cementation.
Scheduling Emergency Appointments
Emergency time is held open during each working day so that we may schedule you as soon as possible during normal hours. Please understand that although we keep a variety of emergency times available, we may not be able to offer you your “ideal” time for an emergency appointment. Our goal is to accommodate you as soon as possible based on the urgency of the situation. If you have an emergency with your appliances, please call the office before you come in. This will allow us to assess the problem and determine the appropriate amount of time needed for your visit.