EducationEmergency Care

 

True orthodontic emergencies are very rare, but if they do occur, we are available to assist you. Call our office immediately at 941.755.6990 if you are experiencing severe pain or have an appliance problem that you can’t take care of yourself. You can follow the prompts on our automated phone service to reach an on-call staff member for assistance. If you are not experiencing a true orthodontic emergency or are not a patient of our office, you can leave a voicemail message and we will return your call the following business day.

If your soreness continues to increase,
the following solutions may help relieve your discomfort:

Poking Wire

Using a pencil eraser, push the poking wire down or place wax on it to alleviate the discomfort. If the end of the wire is poking in the back of the mouth and causing pain, you can trim it with clean nail clippers.

Loose Bracket or Band

If your bracket or band is still attached to the wire, you should leave it in place and put wax on it to secure it to the wire. If the bracket comes out entirely, you can remove it and throw it away.

Poking Appliance

If your appliance is poking you, place wax on the offending part of your appliance.

Loose Wire

During treatment, flexible wires may slip out of the bracket slots of the back teeth. If the wire comes out of the tube, try placing the wire back in the tube using clean tweezers. If necessary, place wax on the end of the loose wire until we can schedule an appointment.

Poking Retainer

If the acrylic or plastic part of your retainer is poking you, use a nail file to gently trim down the problem area. If the wire on your retainer is poking you, place wax on the wire and call our office for an appointment.

If you are able to relieve your discomfort, it is very important that you still call our office during regular business hours to schedule a time to check and/or repair the problem.