Emergencies

Call our office immediately for advice if a bracket or wire is loosened. The bracket may need to be re-fitted as soon as possible. You may have a situation that requires cutting a wire or sliding a bracket off a wire at night or over the weekend. If you need to cut a wire in case of emergency, you may use fingernail clippers that have been washed and sterilized in alcohol. Please call our office the next business day, so that we may schedule an appointment for you.

The wire may cause irritation to your cheeks if it shifts, breaks or becomes long at the ends.  Sometimes discomfort caused by a wire on your braces can be resolved by moving the wire away from the irritated area with a cotton swab or eraser. If the wire will not move, try covering the end of it with a small amount of wax. If the wire is painful, you can cut it with nail clippers or scissors that have been washed and sterilized in alcohol. If you cannot resolve the wire irritation, call our office for an appointment.

Most patients lose a separator during their treatment. Do not worry about losing a separator, but call our office to see if it needs to be replaced.

We want our patients to wear well-fitting retainers. If you lose or break your retainer, we will need to repair or replace it. If your retainer is not fitting well, it may require an adjustment. Bonded retainers (the wire glued behind your incisors) are used for some cases. If the glue has come off, this should be repaired. For all retainer issues, call during office hours so we can schedule an appointment for you. Bring your retainer!

During the first week after your braces are in place and routine adjustments are complete, you will likely feel some pain, soreness or discomfort. You may take over-the-counter acetaminophen or other non-aspirin pain relievers (ibuprofen) while you adjust to your new braces.