A General Guide to Handling Orthodontic Emergencies

Even though orthodontic emergencies are rare, sometimes, dental braces could misbehave. Eventually, this will lead to emergencies, pushing you to schedule an emergency visit and consult your orthodontist. If you wear braces, you need to know that orthodontic emergencies are quite common and they may occur at any time with braces, including a ligature or broken bracket. Other problems could include discomfort or pain, and pain. Do you feel that you have a problem you cannot handle on your own? If you do, a piece of advice is that you should not even try to fix the problem on your own, especially if you are not a professional.

Nowadays, trained orthodontists continue to work towards increasing their knowledge on leading treatment options and techniques in orthodontics for patients who require traditional braces or Invisalign. Know that a well-experienced orthodontist should have enrolled in Gerety Orthodontic Seminars to acquire further skills in their profession, which ensures they treat problems successfully.

When such dental emergencies occur, it is important that you address the issue within a week. In case you encounter dental emergencies, here are some tips on how you can deal with them.

Explain the Problem in Detail

Regardless of the problems you face with your dental braces, you should consult an experienced and well-qualified orthodontist who has gone through orthodontic continuing education. Consult them, and you need to tell them about all the problems you encounter with the braces. For orthodontists to come up with the right treatment plans, they need to understand your problem well. Once they have a clear understanding of your issue, this will save your time and money too, rather than searching for others.

You should think of this from the perspective of experienced orthodontists. The truth is that you would not be able to treat any emergency through trial and errors, without knowing the exact cause of the problem. After all, dentists with years of experience have better skills to handle any orthodontic emergency, so you should inform them about the problem and they will be able to give you the right remedy.

You Need to Seek Instant Treatment

If you feel you are having an orthodontic emergency, you should fix an urgent appointment with your dentist. It is not advisable that you tolerate the agony you face for a prolonged period. When this happens, it is best that you do not be stubborn about the issue, because if you ignore it, this may lead to other complications and cause you more agony.

Apart from pain and swelling, you will need to wear braces for a long time because you didn’t consult experts immediately. For this reason, it is best that when you encounter a problem, you should consider seeking immediate treatment. If you experience these problems, ignoring them could lead to other greater ones.

  • Loose or Missing Brackets: If you lose a bracket, your braces could move from side to the other or even spin on the wire. You have to consult experienced orthodontists, and they will attach the wire, secure the braces, and place it back firmly in place to ensure you do not feel pain.
  • Protruding Wires: To keep protruding wires in control until you meet an orthodontist is to use a Q-tip pencil eraser and push the wire so that it lies flat against the tooth. If you are not able to move the wires into the right position, you may cover it with a relief wax or until you visit your orthodontist.
  • Broken Elastics: If the elastic is broken or missing, this means it is an orthodontic emergency and you should consult a dentist immediately.
  • Dislodged Separators: In some cases, the separators may fall in or out more than they did a day before your appointment. In order to fix the problem, an emergency consultation is what you need.

Avoiding Dental Emergencies

If you wish to avoid dental emergencies, or related to your braces, here are some of the precautionary tips you should follow.

Food

With dental braces on, you should avoid some foods that may damage your braces. You should avoid chewy, hard, sticky, and crunchy foods during the time you have to wear your braces. Often this is for at least two years. Even though you may feel you cannot continue without popcorns and chewing gum during this period, know that hard foods may damage the braces, or sticky food could bend the wires.

Gentle Flossing and Brushing

To ensure your braces remain in the best condition, you should floss and brush your teeth properly after every meal. If small particles trapped in your braces or between your teeth, this will lead to other health-related problems.

Taking care of your dental braces to avoid dental emergencies is not a difficult task. At any time, if you feel that you are not able to handle the problem, it is best that you consult your orthodontist on a regular basis for the right treatment plan. When an emergency occurs, you should avoid tackling the problem on your own. Consult a specialist and wait for their treatment plant to work.