Dealing with emergencies
In the rare event something goes wrong with your braces, the best thing to do is stay calm. You’d be surprised how many problems can be remedied at home – or at least partially fixed until your next appointment. And if your orthodontic appliances need serious attention, we can work you into our schedule to take care of the problem!
Discomfort after orthodontic appointment
While having braces should never cause intense pain, some patients experience a little discomfort when they first get their braces or Invisalign, or right after they have their braces adjusted.
At-home remedies for this include:
- Putting orthodontic wax on the part of the braces that is irritating your mouth
- Using a cold compress on the outside of the face
- Rinsing your mouth with warm saltwater
- Taking an over-the-counter pain reliever, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen
Occasionally, Invisalign aligners have an edge that doesn’t get smoothed down all the way before it reaches the patient. If this happens to you and there is a rough edge irritating the inside of your mouth, you can simply take a fine nail filer and smooth out the edge on your own. Be sure to only file in one direction to avoid warping or tearing the aligners, and rinse off the aligner before putting it back on your teeth.
Lost or damaged aligner
Your Invisalign aligners easily snap in and out of place so you can store them safely in their case during meals or athletic competitions. But if you end up losing or damaging one of your aligners, try to move forward to your next aligner. If it doesn't fit, go back to your last aligner. If you move back, call our office so we can order you a replacement. If you have any questions about what to do, please call our office.
Broken bracket or loose wire
Braces patients may occasionally have a bracket that comes loose. If this happens and it is still attached to the wire, do your best to keep it in your mouth and contact our office as soon as possible. You may even be able to use a little orthodontic wax to reattach it to your tooth temporarily.
If a wire is loose and is poking your mouth, there are a few things you can do to alleviate the discomfort until you come see us.
- Use tweezers to maneuver the wire back into place.
- Use nail clippers to clip the wire behind the last tooth where the wire is securely in place.
- Using an eraser on the end of a pencil, push the wire back towards your teeth.
- Apply orthodontic wax at the point of discomfort.
In any instance of broken or missing appliances, contact Bruno Orthodontics in Chevy Chase right away and we’ll get you in as soon as possible. You can also text us outside of normal business hours if you have a braces emergency.
