Orthodontic Emergencies — Cleburne, TX

Toothache

Is a toothache an emergency? It’s normal to experience some level of pain during any type of orthodontic treatment. After all, your teeth are constantly being pushed to new positions! You may have aching and soreness for a few days after getting your braces tightened or moving on to the next set of aligners. However, if your tooth pain doesn’t go away or seems to be getting worse, you should schedule a visit with your emergency orthodontist in Cleburne. Keep an eye out for symptoms like lingering pain, a discolored tooth, sharp pain when biting down, or sensitivity.

How you should handle toothaches: The first thing you should do is try flossing around the painful tooth to dislodge any debris that may be causing your discomfort. You can also manage your symptoms by taking an over-the-counter pain reliever as directed. If you’re experiencing swelling, apply an ice pack for ten minutes at a time. Rinsing with salt water can also help kill bacteria from a potential infection. If none of those tips help, don’t hesitate to give us a call. We’ll schedule an appointment for you at your earliest convenience!

Loose Bracket or Wire

Is a loose bracket or wire an emergency? Having a loose bracket or wire doesn’t typically cause pain, which is why it doesn’t usually require urgent care. Regardless, you should still seek help right away to ensure your treatment stays on track. Give us a call, and we’ll see you as soon as possible to address your situation.

How you should handle a loose bracket or wire: When a bracket or wire becomes loose but is still attached to the wire, dental wax can cover the area and prevent possible irritation to your soft tissues. If a bracket ever comes off and is no longer attached to your wire, be sure to bring it with you to your next appointment. Any time a piece of your oral appliance is loose, you’ll need to call us and get in as soon as possible so there are no delays in your treatment.

Broken Bracket or Wire

Is a broken bracket or wire an emergency? If you have a broken bracket or wire, you should contact us right away for assistance. This situation requires more urgent care than a loose bracket or wire because it can start poking your soft tissues and accidentally irritate your mouth.

How you should handle a broken bracket or wire: Do not try and resolve the situation on your own! Doing so could lead to further damage or irritation. You should try and collect any pieces that have broken off and take them with you to your appointment. In the meantime, you can cover any sharp spots with dental wax or sugar-free gum to protect your soft oral tissues from broken braces in Cleburne.

Poking Wire

Is a Poking or Protruding Wire an Emergency? A misdirected wire can be a major source of discomfort, resulting in irritation and potential damage to the soft tissue in your mouth. Although there are some measures you can take to address this concern, you still need to notify our team so we can schedule an appointment with our Cleburne orthodontist to adjust your braces.

How You Should Handle A Poking or Protruding Wire Priority number one is placing some orthodontic wax on the end of the wire, which will protect your mouth. You can also move the wire into a better position by gently using a clean Q-tip to guide it back into place. Just remember that these are both temporary solutions that are designed to protect your teeth and gums until your appointment.

Mouth Sores

Are Mouth Sores or Irritation an Emergency? At the beginning of your treatment, you may experience some irritation to the lips, tongue, and cheeks as your mouth adjusts to the presence of your braces. The good news is that this is typically short-lived. While it’s not technically a dental emergency, you can always give our team a call if you have any questions or concerns.

How You Should Handle Mouth Sores or Irritation One of the best things you can do to alleviate irritation is rinse with a mixture of salt and warm water before placing a piece of dental wax over the bracket or wire that’s the source of the discomfort. If the sore doesn’t seem to be getting better, then call our Cleburne orthodontist right away so we can make sure an infection isn’t present.

Broken Ligature

Is a Broken Ligature an Emergency? If one of the ligatures (commonly referred to as “rubber bands”) snaps, then it’s crucial that you get in touch with our team right away. Remember, these elastics play an important role in keeping the wire attached to your braces, so waiting too long can result in delays to your treatment plan.

How You Should Handle a Broken Ligature Until your appointment, there are a few things you can do to handle a broken ligature. First, you can use a cotton swab or clean pencil eraser to guide it back to the right position. If you’re struggling with any sharp edges, you can use a piece of dental wax to cover the area as well.

Soft Tissue Cuts

Is a Cut Lip, Cheek, or Tongue an Emergency? Soft tissue cuts can result in a lot of blood, even if the wound is small. Therefore, it’s important to assess the damage carefully. If the bleeding stops within a minute or two, then this is not considered an emergency situation. However, if the bleeding is uncontrollable and lasts more than 10 minutes, then head to your nearest ER right away.

How You Should Handle a Cut Lip, Cheek, or Tongue First, gently rinse your mouth with clean, room-temperature water. Then, use a clean, wet washcloth to clean the wounded area and apply pressure. Lastly, use a cold compress or take an over-the-counter pain reliever to help reduce inflammation and ease discomfort.

Something Stuck Between the Teeth

Is Having Something Stuck Between the Teeth an Emergency? Although having something stuck between your teeth may not seem like an urgent issue, it’s important to dislodge the debris swiftly. If you don’t, then you’re at an increased risk of experiencing tooth decay and gum disease. Since both of these can put your orthodontic treatment on hold, you want to prevent that at all costs!

How You Should Handle Something Stuck Between the Teeth To soften the debris (and potentially dislodge it), we recommend swishing warm saltwater in your mouth. Next, use some floss to gently clean between your teeth. If you have no luck with these measures, don’t use tweezers or a toothpick instead. Call our Cleburne office so we can schedule a time for you to come in and see how we can help.

Broken or Lost Retainer

Is a Broken/Lost Aligner or Retainer an Emergency? Although it may not require a same-day appointment, we do recommend getting in touch with our Cleburne orthodontic team right away. That way, we can repair or replace your aligner or retainer before it negatively impacts the position of your teeth.

How You Should Handle a Broken or Lost Aligner/Retainer If you’ve broken your aligner or retainer, we may advise you not to wear it since this can cause your teeth to move out of their properly aligned positions. If you’ve lost your aligner or retainer, then we suggest the age-old advice “retrace your steps.” Make sure to look in obscure places in the process, like between your couch cushions, in the refrigerator, or in your laundry basket. More often than not, they turn up somewhere unexpected!

Loose Teeth

Are Loose Teeth an Emergency? Although it’s normal for your teeth to feel slightly loose, they should never feel like they are about to fall out. If they do, then that absolutely warrants a call to our Cleburne orthodontic office. There’s a chance that gum disease is the culprit, and this infection needs to be treated immediately. Otherwise, it can continue to progress and negatively impact your overall health. How You Should Handle Loose Teeth Most of what we recommend is about what you shouldn’t do, like don’t chew on that side of your mouth, eat anything extremely crunchy, or use your tongue or finger to wiggle the tooth. We also encourage our patients to take OTC pain medication, if necessary, and visit us ASAP for treatment.