Hi there! We’re so excited to see you here! Orthodontic emergencies can certainly be worrying, but they are far from being potentially fatal. We mean this quite literally. Orthodontic emergencies are not life-threatening situations; however, they can cause significant complications to your orthodontic treatment, which is why we like to make sure that all our patients receive the help they require when it’s most critical.
Dental Emergencies Sturbridge, MA
Many patients face similar situations when they have their braces or clear aligners on. Some can be the result of poor habits, while others will just happen entirely unprovoked. Regardless of the nature of each situation, you should know how to identify an orthodontic emergency and how to react appropriately.
Remember that you should always get in touch with your orthodontist to let them know what is happening. Here are some of the common orthodontic emergencies:
What Are The Most Common Orthodontic Emergencies?
Ok, so this is not necessarily an emergency in its traditional sense, but that’s true for almost every orthodontic emergency. Every patient should expect some degree of discomfort as their teeth begin to move. The nature of orthodontics requires movements and changes that will make you feel a bit sore.
However, no one should feel intense pain or persistent pain. You can take some over-the-counter painkillers to manage your mild discomfort, but if you feel a lot of pain, especially after the third day in a row, you should get help in an ER and contact your orthodontist immediately to keep them in the loop.
Loose Brackets
Whenever patients have leftover food debris in their mouths, they run the risk of suffering an orthodontic emergency. Even though the bonding agent we use to fix each bracket to your teeth is very powerful, it will only take a bit of force in the right direction to peel them away.
Hard foods break into smaller pieces; these tiny levers basically peel away each bracket and can cause some setbacks.
Please get in touch with our office to reattach your brackets and carry on without a problem.
Poking Wires
This is one of the most annoying orthodontic emergencies because it is rarely the patient’s fault. Whether it’s caused by sudden motion, a slight impact, some food caught between your teeth and the archwire, or any other reason, a poking wire is a cause for discomfort and one you can easily solve.
After you get in touch with your orthodontist to explore any available solutions, please use a blunt object and try to relocate the end of the wire. You can also use some orthodontic wax to keep the tip of the wire from poking at your cheeks and causing any mouth sores.
Lost Clear Aligners
Because they are removable, clear aligners are also easily misplaced or lost. Please, take their protective case with you at all times and avoid wrapping the aligners in napkins or any other disposable method that can result in accidentally throwing away your orthodontic appliance.
How many days can you go without your aligners? It depends on each case, but you’ll always be better off if you get in touch with your orthodontist and ask for clear instructions on which replacement to get.
Get Help at Sturbridge Orthodontics
Our team is ready to help you solve any orthodontic emergencies you face and put things back on track. Ultimately, we want to ensure you benefit from personalized care that puts you first on the list of priorities and delivers solutions when you need them most. Set an appointment or get in touch with our team to get the help you require.
