Emergency Care

Here at Fairbanks Orthodontic Group, we are dedicated to patient care, especially in the case of an emergency.

Orthodontic emergencies may be rare, but we are ready and willing to help you whenever you are having trouble with your braces.

Any time you have pain, whether it is a painful tooth or appliance, it is important to contact us.

Many problems can be solved simply at home, though we always have appointments if you need help.

• If a wire falls off, place it in a bag until you can come to our office.
• If something is irritating your gums, place soft wax on the bracket to protect the gums.
• If the wire has moved, you may be able to move it back with needle-nosed pliers.

Whether you can fix the problem or not, it is very important to let us know what is happening. We may need to look at your braces to see if we need to do any repair work on them so that they will continue to work as they should.

Here are some tips that may be helpful:

• General soreness often comes with new braces, so you may notice that your teeth are sore for a few days. It helps to eat soft foods during this time.
• You may also want to rinse with warm salt water. You can dissolve one teaspoonful of salt in eight ounces of warm water and use the mixture to rinse your mouth out. You can also use the Healthy Gums Rinse by The Natural Dentist.
• Many people like to use Orabase on their sore gums to help with the discomfort. This product is available at a pharmacy. You may also use over-the-counter medications for headaches like acetaminophen (Tylenol), aspirin, ibuprofen (Motrin and Advil), or naproxen sodium (Aleve, Naprosyn, Anaprox).
• You should use wax to address the irritation caused by your new braces so that your mouth can get used to the feeling of them.
• If you are not wearing your rubberbands the way you should be, you may have some discomfort. It is important to wear your rubberbands as often as requested so that you will get the results you deserve. You will get used to wearing them, and it will stop causing you discomfort the more you wear them.
• Any time that you have a loose appliance, apply wax on it so that it will not cause discomfort until we are able to fix it.
• If you have a loose bracket, it is important that you leave it in place the best that you can. You can put wax on it so that it doesn’t irritate your gums until you are able to be seen. If it comes off, put it in a bag or envelope so that you can bring it with you on your next visit.
• If you have a loose wire, you might be able to use tweezers or needle-nosed pliersto try to put the wire back into place. If needed, you can use floss to tie the wire into place until you are able to come into our office.
• If you can’t get the wire to stay and it is really causing you a problem, you can clip it off with a fingernail clipper. Place wax over the end to protect your mouth. This should be used only as a last resort since it will require us to make significant repairs to your braces when you come into our office.
• If you have a wire poking you, you can push it down with a pencil eraser or use wax until you can be seen.

We would be happy to answer any questions you may have. Please feel free to contact us today at (907) 452-2939.