Braces Emergency
Salem, OR
Emergency Services for Braces provided by Dr. Amborn
in Salem, OR at Amborn Orthodontics
Though your braces are durable, and you work hard to care for your braces, emergencies can happen. Even all the braces protection practices in the world can't protect you from the random emergency. From wire breakage to brackets being dislodged and elastic bands being lost, we can help. The steps that you take following a problem with your braces can make a difference in your comfort, and ignoring problems could extend the amount of time your braces are needed.
Contact our office with all questions concerning your braces, we may be able to advise you on steps that you can take to alleviate problems, or we may request to see you. Dr. Amborn, along with our team at Amborn Orthodontics, will do our best to see you immediately when an orthodontic emergency arises. In any situation, there are steps that you can take.
Common problems with braces include:
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A wire has broken or bent. |
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A bracket has loosened or come off. |
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Elastic bands have broken or come off. |
What do I do when a wire has broken or bent on my braces?The wires on your braces can break or bend, most often when eating. This is a problem that we see frequently. When a patient experiences a broken wire, it can poke the patient, hurting their soft tissues including the cheek, gums or tongue. Broken wires will require a visit with Dr. Amborn for repair. Before your visit, you want to protect your soft tissue, but we do not want you to attempt cutting the wire yourself. Wires that have been cut can be accidentally inhaled or swallowed, causing worse problems.
If you have a broken wire in your mouth, an eraser is a great option to protect yourself. Push a small amount of eraser onto the wire; this will eliminate the potential of being poked before you can be seen. If the wire has already caused harm to your soft tissues, rinse your mouth with warm salt water to reduce the incidence of infection and reduce any discomfort.
Finally, contact our office for a wire replacement. A broken wire means that treatment has stopped. A broken wire can not pull your teeth so any delay can impact your treatment.
What do I do when a bracket is loosened or has come off my braces?Brackets are firmly attached with a composite resin. They should be able to stay in place through the duration of your braces but can be loosened when eating foods that are sticky or crunchy. A loose bracket can damage your gums or inner lip by rubbing against them. Additionally, a loose or missing bracket means that the needed connection is lost and that your treatment has stopped. We can easily reattach the bracket in our office. Before your visit, you can apply wax or petroleum jelly to the bracket to reduce the likelihood of rubbing or scratching your soft tissues.
What do I do when an elastic band breaks on my braces?In most situations, the patient has been sent home with replacement bands. If a band breaks and you have no replacement bands, contact our front office staff at Amborn Orthodontics and they can have replacements ready for you when you can come by. What we don't want is for a patient to wait until their next appointment for replacement bands, as not having their bands can mean that treatment has stopped, delaying the overall treatment time. |
