Emergency Remedies

You may be able to alleviate certain problems yourself until your next scheduled appointment. However, you should call us if you have a problem with your braces that you cannot take care of yourself.

Below are solutions to common problems that you may encounter:

General Soreness

After getting your braces on or after an adjustment, you may feel some soreness in your mouth and teeth - this usually goes away after a two days. You can relieve this discomfort by rinsing your mouth with warm saltwater. If the tenderness is severe, tylenol or any other headache and pain medicine will help.

Irritation of Inside Cheeks
Sometimes the inside of your cheeks may be irritated by the braes. This can easily be cured by using brace wax. Roll up a small amount of wax, dry irritated area, then press and wrap the wax around the bracket.

Don't worry if the wax falls off and is swallowed - the wax is safe and 100% non toxic.

Loose or Pokey Wire
If the archwire falls off the bracket, try to gently place in back into the bracket. If that doesn't work, simply cover it up with brace wax and wait until your next scheduled appointment.

Occasionally, the archwire may protrud out towards the back and may irritate your cheeks. When this occurs, push the protruded end of the archwire in with a soft pencil eraser or simply cover it up with a lot of brace wax. If this does not help, you can cut the end of the wire with a nail clipper or clean wire cutter.

Broken Bracket or Loose Molar Band
Don't stress if a bracket breaks off or a molar band comes loose - this sometimes happens. You can wait a few weeks with broken brackets or molar bands, as all your teeth will still continue to move. If your loose bracket or band is still attached to the archwire, you should leave it in place - if it falls out, save it and bring it with you to your next appointment.