Over the course of your orthodontic treatment, broken or damaged appliances are likely to occur. If you experience any problems with your orthodontic appliance, such as loose 
bands or broken or poking wires, call our office, so we can evaluate the urgency of the problem and schedule you to be seen.
It is always important to be familiar with the names of the parts of your appliance, so that you can identity which part is out of place. Many times you will be able to take steps to temporarily resolve a problem until you can be seen by our office. Even after alleviating your own discomfort, it is important that you call our office immediately to schedule an appointment during which we will evaluate the quick fix and repair the problem properly. By allowing your appliance to remain damaged for an extended period of time, you may disrupt the length and/or effectiveness of your treatment plan.
Here are some suggestions for temporarily relieving discomfort associated with your orthodontic appliance:
Poking Wire
Use a pencil eraser to push the wire down or place wax on the wire temporarily to avoid damage to the cheek and gums and alleviate any discomfort. If the poking wire is still causing you pain, you can try clipping it with nail clippers, but be careful not to clip your cheek!
Loose Bracket or Band
During the first couple of months after having braces placed, it is possible that you might have a bracket or two come unglued. The likelihood of breaking brackets significantly decreases as your treatment progresses, and any future broken brackets are typically the result of biting hard foods, chewing stick foods or biting on hard objects such as ice or pen caps. Hard, sticky foods should be avoided while you are in braces because broken appliances can result in additional fees and will prolong the amount of time you have to be in treatment. If you have a loose bracket but are not experiencing any discomfort, we ask that you call our office during regular business hours to see if an emergency appointment needs to be scheduled. If you do not already have a routine appointment scheduled in the near future, we will work you in as an emergency. If you do have a regular appointment coming up, we will most likely just make a note in your chart to let our team know that a loose bracket needs to be taken care of when you come in. If you break a bracket and are experiencing pain, call our office immediately!
Headgear Discomfort
Surprisingly, your headgear may hurt less if it’s worn more! Not wearing your headgear for the amount of time prescribed by your doctor can lead to unnecessary discomfort. The simple answer to alleviating pain caused by your headgear may be to wear it more; always wear your headgear for the amount of time specified in the guidelines provided to you by your doctor. However, if the facebow of your headgear becomes bent, you will need to call our office for assistance.
General Soreness
It is completely normal to experience slight tenderness and achiness during the first few days after having your appliance placed. The pain will subside, but, in the meantime, we recommend taking appropriate doses of ibuprofen or acetaminophen (Advil, Motrin, Tylenol, etc.).
We will teach you how to use wax on your braces to prevent your lips, cheeks, and tongue from becoming irritated as they adjust to your new braces.
After Office Hours
Our office is generally open Monday through Friday and emergency time is held open during each day so that we may schedule you as soon as possible during normal clinic hours if the need arises. If you have an orthodontic emergency and are in extreme pain that cannot wait until normal office hours, please contact our Emergency Line at (715) 828-0206.