Emergencies
“Sore Teeth”
Everyone is different, but generally, it is expected that the teeth will be sore for the first few days. There are now new pressures and forces being applied to the teeth that they have never felt before. If the teeth are sore initially, it is important to remember that it will not last. Things will settle down within a few days. Eating or drinking cool foods or liquids will help relieve some of the pressure from the wire. Chewing gum (sugar free of course!) also provides excellent relief by massaging the tooth sockets and promoting blood flow, thereby helping the teeth to move. If need be, a pain reliever may also be taken.
Now that the braces are on, it will take your mouth, lips and cheeks a few days to get used to them. The smooth surface of the teeth has been replaced by the braces, so it is not uncommon for a “sore spot” to develop. If you notice that the braces feel particularly scratchy in one area or another, simply use the wax provided to help smooth out the rough spot until the cheeks and lips toughen up. Be sure to hold your lip or cheek away and dry off the area as much as possible. The wax will not stick as well if the surface is too wet.
If your wire is causing irritation try moving the wire away from the irritated area with the eraser end of a pencil. If the wire will not move, try covering the end of it with a small amount of wax. If the wire is poking your lips or cheek, most wires can be cut with a clean pair of nail clippers or scissors.
“Loose Bracket”If the main wire or a bracket comes loose, a general rule is if it is not bothering you or causing you any discomfort, and your appointment is coming up (within three weeks or so), it is not a problem to wait for your next appointment to have a repair done (still call us to inform us that something needs fixing). However, if something breaks and you are in a situation where you must cut the wire or slide a bracket off the wire, you may use clean fingernail clippers. Please give us a call and we will schedule a repair appointment.
“Lost Separator”It may have fallen out because it has made the space required; however, the space will close if a separator is not been kept in place. Try to replace the separator with the extra separators we provided you in the small envelope. If you are unsuccessful please give our office a call and we will schedule an appointment to replace it.