True orthodontic emergencies are very rare, but when they do occur we are available to you.  The office hours are Monday 7:45 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 7:45 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and Saturday 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.  There is also an emergency number available on the answering machine for emergencies after office hours.

As a general rule, you should call the office when you experience severe pain or when you have a painful appliance problem and we will try to offer suggestions to alleviate some of the discomfort until you can schedule an appointment to resolve the problem.

You might be surprised to learn that you may be able to temporarily solve many problems yourself until you schedule an appointment with our office. When working with your appliances, you need to know the names of the parts of your appliances so you are able to identify what part is broken or out of place. After alleviating your discomfort, it is very important that you still call our office as soon as possible to schedule a time to repair the problem. Allowing your appliance to remain damaged for an extended period of time may result in disruptions in your treatment plan.

The following solutions may help you relieve your discomfort:

Poking Wire
All patients with braces have wires.  As we move the teeth the wire can shift as well.  This is normal, however, sometimes the wire becomes too long and needs to be clipped.  To temporarily alleviate the poking you may be able to use a (clean) pencil eraser and push the poking wire down or place wax on the affected area.

Loose Bracket or Band
Brackets are bonded to the front of the teeth and Bands are metal rings cemented to the back molars.  If your bracket or band is still attached to the wire, you should leave it in place.  You may need to use your wax to keep it in place.  If the bracket or band comes off entirely, wrap it with a tissue and bring it to your next appointment.  Please call the office promptly as your normal adjustment is only scheduled for 15 minutes and we need 30 minutes to recement or rebond your appliance.  If you should come to yout normal adjustment appointment with loose brackets or bands, a different appointment will be scheduled for repair.

Loose Wire
The wires are threaded through the brackets and come to an end at the bands.  In the beginning of treatment the wire is very flexible.  At times it may come out of the back bands.  This may happen several times at first until the teeth shift their position.  The remedy is relatively simple.  With a (clean) tweezer you can try to gently replace the wire into the side tube on the band.  If doing this does not help and wax does not help, then--as a last resort--you may want to use a (clean) fingernail clipper and clip the wire behind the last bracket to which it is securely fastened.  You may still need to use wax if the cut end is sharp.  if it was necessary to clip the wire, please call our office for an appointment to replace the wire as soon as possible.

Loose Appliance
If your appliance (expander, twinblock, quadhelix, RPX, habit appliance, etc) is poking and it is a removable appliance, please call us to come in for the lab to smooth it.  If it is an appliance cemented to the back molars, use wax to alleviate the discomfort unitl you can make an appointment for Dr. Brickman to make an adjustment.

Headgear Does Not Fit
Sometimes headgear discomfort is caused by not wearing the headgear as instructed by your orthodontist. Please refer to the instructions provided by your orthodontist. If the facebow is bent, please call our office for assistance. Surprisingly, the headgear may hurt less if its worn more, so be sure youre getting in the prescribed hours.

Retainer Does Not Fit
The best preventative is to keep them in their case.  Many times the retainer becomes bent because it has been carelessly put in a pocket or purse without the case.  Also, it must be worn as prescribed.  All post-treatment retainers are to be worn all the time (24 hours a day), only removing when eating or cleaning.  Dr. Brickman will let you know when you can wear it less.  If the retainer is not fitting properly, or pinching, please call out office and we will make an appointment for Dr. Brickman to make an adjustment.

General 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 a 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!