Emergency Information

GENERALIZED SORENESS

When you get your braces on, you may feel general soreness in your mouth and teeth may be tender to biting pressures for three to five days. This can be relieved by rinsing your mouth with a warm salt-water mouthwash. Dissolve one teaspoonful of salt in 8 ounces of warm water, and rinse your mouth vigorously. Placing Orabase on the affected area may help; this can be found in your local pharmacy. If the tenderness is severe, take aspirin or whatever you normally take for headache or similar pain. The lips, cheeks and tongue may also become irritated for one to two weeks as they toughen and become accustomed to the surface of the braces. You can put wax on the braces to lessen this. We'll show you how!

PARTS OF BRACES

BRACKETS

PROBLEM:
Loose bracket. Not secured on the tooth, and sliding along the wire.

SOLUTION:
Apply wax to secure the bracket into next to an adjacent bracket. If it is the last bracket in the back, you can remove the bracket and bring it with you to your appointment. You can attempt to cut the wire if it is poking or you can place wax over the end of the wire. DO NOT Attach elastics to a loose bracket. Call the office the next business day to schedule an appointment.
**Please keep in mind that even if you have a regular scheduled appointment, it is important to call our office so that we may allow extra time, or schedule a separate appointment to fix the bracket.**

PROBLEM: Bracket off last molar tooth, causing wire to poke cheek.

SOLUTION: Clip wire with fingernail clippers (if wire is flexible),

OR clip with small sterilized wire clippers. Apply wax over end of wire. Warm salt water rinses 2-3X/day.

PROBLEM: Door open.

SOLUTION: Push up on the bracket with a pencil eraser to close door or if it won’t
close apply wax over the door to secure wire in place.

ELASTIC HOOKS

PROBLEM: Hook is poking lip.

SOLUTION: You can use a pencil eraser to tuck the hook towards the gums. If it is a molar hook or a T-pin place wax over it until it stops poking. Warm salt water rinses 2-3X/day.

PROBLEM: Gums are swollen around hook.
SOLUTION: Brush gums 3X/day with a dry toothbrush. Discontinue elastic wear until tissue is not as swollen.

PROBLEM: Hook is wiggly.
SOLUTION: Continue to wear elastics, mobility is normal.

PROBLEM: Hook is no longer attached to the bracket.
SOLUTION: Call the office to schedule an appointment.

HOOKS ON MOLAR BRACKETS

PROBLEM: Hooks on molar bracket poking.

SOLUTION: Apply wax over the hook. Warm salt water rinses 2-3X/day.

BUTTONS FOR ELASTICS

PROBLEM: Button is causing a sore on the tongue.
SOLUTION: Apply wax & use warm salt-water rinses 2-3X/day.

PROBLEM: Button is no longer attached to the tooth.
SOLUTION: Call the office to schedule an appointment.

WIRES

PROBLEM: Wire poking or sticking out of the last bracket.

SOLUTION:
1. Attempt to slide wire back in to the tube on the opposite side or,

2. Attempt to clip the wire with fingernail clippers (if wire is flexible) OR clip with small sterilized wire clippers or,

3. Apply wax, warm salt-water rinses as needed.

PROBLEM: Wire is out of the tube.

SOLUTION: Place wire back in the tube or clip the wire behind the last tooth that the wire goes through.

PROBLEM:
Twist tie is poking lip

SOLUTION:
Use the end of a pencil eraser to tuck the tie away from the lip.

PROBLEM: Broken lace poking lips.

SOLUTION: Tuck the poking part away from the lip if lace is under the wire. If lace is on top of the wire remove the broken lace.

STOPS

PROBLEM: Sharp and rubbing lip.

SOLUTION: Apply wax, can attempt to file with an emory board, use warm salt water rinses 2-3X/day to help with an irritation of the lips.

PROBLEM: Stop is sliding around wire.

SOLUTION: Apply wax around the stop to secure it into place.

CHAIN

PROBLEM: Chain is broken and irritating the cheek.

SOLUTION: Clip chain with a pair of scissors and call the office the next business day to schedule an appointment.

BITING ON BRACKETS

BITEPLATE

PROBLEM: Can't wear because it impairs speech.
SOLUTION: Practice speaking wear biteplate 24/7.

PROBLEM: Biteplate will not stay in the palate when eating or talking.
SOLUTION: Apply a small amount of denture adhesive.
Ex: Fixodent or Polydent to the biteplate and place in the palate.

TURBOS

PROBLEM: Turbo is worn down and you are biting on brackets.

SOLUTION: Be careful when eating; call the office to schedule an appointment.

PROBLEM: Patient is only biting down on one turbo.
SOLUTION: This is normal and as long as you are not having any discomfort, there is no reason to do anything. If you are having discomfort, please call the office to schedule an appointment.