True orthodontic emergencies are very rare, but
when they do occur we are available to you.
As a general rule, you should call the office when you experience increased discomfort or when you have an appliance problem that you can't take care of yourself. We'll be able to schedule an appointment to
resolve the problem. If
the office is closed you may contact Dr. Chumak
at 220-4037, or the Ottawa Dental Emergency Service at 523-4185. There
is always an emergency
number on our answering service or you may
leave a message and we will return your call when we arrive back in
the office. Either way we will
respond to your concerns as soon as possible.
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
Using a pencil eraser, push the poking wire
down or place wax on it to alleviate the discomfort.
Loose Bracket or Band
If your bracket or band is still attached to
the wire, you should leave it in place and put wax on it. If the
wire comes out entirely, wrap the bracket with a tissue.
Loose Wire
Using a tweezers, try to place your wire back
into place. If doing this and using wax doesn't help, as
a last resort use a small fingernail clipper to clip the wire
behind the last tooth to which it is securely fastened. If your
discomfort continues, place wax on it.
Loose Appliance
If your appliance is poking you, place wax
on the offending part of your appliance.
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 it’s worn more, so be sure you’re
getting in the prescribed hours.
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.
If the tenderness is severe, take Tylenol
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!
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