Comfort Care for Braces
We’re here for all of your orthodontic needs. True orthodontic emergencies are rare, but, there are minor situations where you may need a quick fix. If you’re a patient of ours and you experience any of these situations, follow the tips below, give us a call, and we’ll take care of you.
More often than not, any situation you encounter can be fixed with a temporary mouth protectant (like Orajel™ and orthodontic wax) and a visit to our office.
Common situations include:
- Rubber band comes off your braces
- Archwire pops out of place
- Loose or broken braces bracket
- Soreness due to poking wires or metal pieces
- Broken or misplaced appliance
- Lost, cracked, or broken clear aligners
- Tooth pain or loose teeth
If you experience any of those, please contact us and we’ll prioritize your visit. We want to relieve any discomfort and get you back on track with your orthodontic treatment.
How to Contact Us for Emergencies?
If our office is open, please give us a call at (702) 541-7070. One of our team members will schedule the earliest appointment for you so we can discuss your situation and plan the next steps.
If our office is closed, you can still call our main line. Follow the prompt for emergency situations and your call will be directed to Dr. Saxe. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to handle most orthodontic situations at home before you visit us!
How to Handle an Orthodontic Emergency
If one of your archwires pops out of place, try to maneuver the wire back into the bracket. Have a parent or a trusted adult use sterilized tweezers to push the wire back into the bracket, if possible. Otherwise, clip the loose section of the wire off with a clean pair of nail clippers. You can pull off some orthodontic wax, rub it into a ball and place it over the dislodged wire to protect your cheeks from damage.
If you have a poking wire, push the wire away from your cheek or gums with a pencil eraser and place a small pillow of wax over the sharp area to protect your cheeks.
If a rubber band falls off your braces, contact us as soon as possible so we can replace the rubber band(s) and make any necessary adjustments to your braces. If the band is still attached to the archwire or to an appliance and the band just feels a little wobbly, leave it in place. If the band can be completely removed from your tooth, leave it off and bring it to your repair appointment.
If you have a broken power chain, this needs to be fixed within a few days. Please be sure to contact us immediately! If you are using rubber bands in your treatment plan, stop wearing your bands until your power chain is repaired. If it’s irritating your cheek, cover it with orthodontic wax.
If you experience irritation due to a metal bracket or wire, orthodontic wax should do the trick. Place some wax over the irritating piece to protect your mouth and let us know at your next appointment.
Here’s how to properly apply orthodontic wax:
If you lose, break or damage an appliance, place the orthodontic appliance in a ziploc bag and contact our office. It’s important that you do not try to place a damaged or broken appliance back in your mouth. Don’t try to force a misshapen retainer or clear aligner back in position. Call us to schedule an emergency appointment and bring the appliance, clear aligner or retainer to your appointment.
If you experience tooth pain, soreness in your gums, or irritation around your cheeks or tongue, try taking an over-the-counter pain reliever, like Tylenol®. Some minor soreness during your orthodontic treatment is normal, because your braces or clear aligners are exerting pressure on your teeth to align your smile. You can rinse your mouth with warm salt water (1 cup water, ¼ tsp. salt) along with Tylenol or Advil as prescribed for your weight and age to reduce soreness.
