Summer time can be a great time to relax. Some of us will stay local and go to camps, while others will travel and go on vacation. Many will do a combination of both. Ideally, everyone will have a great time while staying safe, but what if something happens to our braces and we can’t get to the orthodontist? While we know we should always wear a mouthguard while playing sports and avoid certain foods while in orthodontic treatment, things do happen. Most orthodontic emergencies are not true “emergencies”, but they can be quite uncomfortable until they are resolved. Below we will discuss what to do for our most common orthodontic emergencies and how to resolve them if you are not able to come into our office.
- Poking Wires – It is not uncommon for wires to poke during the course of orthodontic treatment. Wire pokes can be caused by broken/loose brackets, closing spaces, or having the wire slip out of the brace.
- If the wire is poking in the back because of a broken bracket or it is just long and sticking out, clean wire cutters or clean nail clippers can be used to cut the extra piece of wire sticking out. Put the cutters or clippers as close as you can to the last attached brace or tube and cut the extra wire. Place a cotton ball behind the extra piece of wire to help catch the extra wire when you cut it. This should resolve the issue. If it is still poking, place orthodontic wax over the poking wire until you can make it into our office.
- The wire may sometimes slip out of the last tube in the back, causing it to irritate the cheek. In these situations, the wire can be placed back into the tube, either by hand or with tweezers. Once it is back in the tube, it should no longer poke the cheek.
- If the wire is poking in the back because of a broken bracket or it is just long and sticking out, clean wire cutters or clean nail clippers can be used to cut the extra piece of wire sticking out. Put the cutters or clippers as close as you can to the last attached brace or tube and cut the extra wire. Place a cotton ball behind the extra piece of wire to help catch the extra wire when you cut it. This should resolve the issue. If it is still poking, place orthodontic wax over the poking wire until you can make it into our office.
- Poking Steel Ligatures – The colors commonly seen on braces function to keep the wire engaged in the braces. Some of the braces may have a steel ligature instead of the color ligature. These steel ligatures are usually small and tucked away so they don’t bother you, but sometimes they have a little tail that pokes out and can bother the lip or cheek. If this happens, the tail can usually be tucked back under the wire with a pencil eraser or a cotton swab. If it cannot be resolved with this, place orthodontic wax over the poking ligature tail until you can come into our office.
- Broken Brackets – There is no such thing as a “loose” bracket. If the bracket feels loose, it is no longer attached to the tooth and the tooth is now free to shift. Most of the time if a bracket breaks, it is not painful and may go unnoticed. If a bracket breaks on the last tooth, the wire may poke and this can be resolved by the methods mentioned above. Whenever a bracket breaks, we will need to see you at your earliest convenience in order to repair the broken bracket.
- Sports Injuries – If trauma occurs to the face or mouth where a tooth moves, fractures, or becomes loose, please seek medical attention and/or contact your general dentist immediately. If a tooth becomes loose or is knocked out, it may need to be repositioned and fixated by the dentist. If the tooth becomes fractured, the general dentist may be able to repair the tooth as well. It is not uncommon to encounter concussions when there is trauma to the head or face. Please watch out for commons concussion signs such as confusion, slowed responses, nausea, headaches, blurred vision, and dizziness. Many injuries to the mouth and concussions can be reduced by the use of a mouthguard. Don’t have a mouthguard? Come to our office and pick one up! Remember to always use a mouthguard that is braces friendly!
Hopefully we will not have to use any of this information, but if a situation arises where it may be useful, it is here for you. If you need any other information, please call or text our office at (215) 855-7717 or e-mail us at in**@*****ho.com. Enjoy your summer and stay safe!
-Dr. Z and the BZ Ortho Family