ABOUT OUR PRACTICE
Emergencies
Dental emergencies while wearing braces or other orthodontic appliances fall into two categories:
- direct injuries to the face, mouth or teeth, or
- damage to orthodontic appliances.
Direct Injuries to the Face, Mouth or Teeth
Following a direct injury to your face, mouth or teeth, whether undergoing orthodontic care or not, you should be seen by your regular dentist as soon as possible. Usually an x-ray of the involved tooth or teeth is needed to ascertain the extent of injury. If a tooth has been knocked out, severely displaced or fractured, it is best to contact us and your family dentist immediately. In some instances, it may be necessary for an oral and maxillofacial surgeon to be seen. If the orthodontic appliances are dislodged of displaced, we will need to replace or adjust them as soon as possible.
Please call us immediately after seeing your family dentist. If you are unable to reach your family dentist or an alternate emergency facility, call this office and we will try to assist you in locating someone to care for the injury.
Emergencies Related to Orthodontic Appliances
Broken or "disturbed" appliances may occur from time to time during your orthodontic care. If there is any disturbance, such as loose bands, broken or jabbing wires, call our office as soon as possible so that Dr. Loew can evaluate the urgency of the problem and schedule you to be seen accordingly.
In the interim, here are helpful hints to remedy some of the problems that you may encounter until you can be seen in our office:
- If a wire is irritating your mouth, cover it with orthodontic wax. If orthodontic wax is not available, use bees wax.
- A loose band or bracket can generally be left in place until the patient is seen by Dr. Loew. Call the office as soon as you notice a loose band or bracket so that we can schedule an appointment to reattach the broken appliance.
- If you do have an appliance that happens to come off, do not discard it! Bring it with you to the office at the time of the appointment. If you do not call ahead and alert us to the fact that there is a problem, our schedule may require us to repair or replace your appliance at another scheduled time.
- A broken archwire, or one that is irritating the gum or cheek tissue, needs to be seen as soon as possible for replacement or adjustment.
- A bent headgear, facebow, or removable appliance that is not fitting well is not to be worn until it can be properly adjusted at the office. Call as soon as possible to schedule an appointment to have Dr. Loew make the adjustment.
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