Achy, Breaky Braces
If you are experiencing abnormal pain as a result of an orthodontic appliance, please contact our office immediately so we can schedule the first available comfort visit for you. If it is after normal business hours, the recorded greeting will provide you with the pager number of the assistant on call who will be able to help you.
Here is some helpful information for managing the discomfort that is a normal part of orthodontic treatment. Also, you may find that brackets and wires will break in spite of your best efforts to keep them intact, so we have included information on what to do if part of your braces is damaged or broken.
Managing Normal Discomfort
It is not uncommon for orthodontic treatment to cause some discomfort as your teeth move and adjust to their new positions. Most patients experience this during the first few days of having braces, and for a couple of days after adjustment visits. Taking the recommended dose of Advil will help control the aching you may experience as your teeth move. Also, you may develop sores on the inside of your cheeks and lips where the brackets are rubbing. Eventually your body will adjust to the presence of the brackets and the tissue in your mouth will become more resistant to developing sores, but until then use the wax provided by our office to create a barrier between the bracket and the irritated tissue. To use the wax, roll a small amount between your fingers to make it soft and then gently mold it around the brackets that are causing irritation. You may also dissolve regular salt in warm water and rinse with the solution. This will help prevent infection and sooth irritation. Make sure to brush and floss well to decrease the presence of infection-causing bacteria in your mouth as well.
Broken Brackets, Bands, Wires, Ligatures or Other Appliances
If any part of your braces becomes damaged or broken please call our office to schedule an appointment to have it repaired. While many problems can be fixed in one appointment, it may be necessary to schedule a second, longer visit to allow enough time to properly repair it. Pokey wires and broken ligatures can almost always be repaired in one visit, while certain problems such as loose brackets or broken bands or wires may require more than one visit. These repair visits are scheduled in the late morning or early afternoon and present a school conflict, so try to keep everything intact so you don't have to miss class. Please refer to the Taking Care of Your Braces page for help in preventing damage.