Occasionally, a patient may require care outside of his or her regularly scheduled appointment. Below is a list of some of the problems that may occur, and what you can do about them until your regularly scheduled appointment. However, if you have a problem that is painful or you cannot resolve it on your own, please do not hesitate to call us so we can see you and take care of the problem sooner.

Sore Teeth:
Not uncommon after getting braces placed or after an adjustment. Usually lasts 1 to 2 days. Over-the-counter pain medication such as Advil, Aleve or Tylenol may be helpful.

Poking Wire:
For a wire that extends beyond the last brace, wax can be placed over the wire to cover the area. If a tie wire is poking, try pushing it in with a pencil eraser.

Loose Bracket or Band:
Unless it is really bothering you, leave it in place. If it was attached to the last tooth, you can try to cut the wire with clean nail clippers. If the bracket or band comes loose, save the bracket or band. Call our office as soon as possible and let us know what happened. We will direct you as to what to do next.

Separator fell out:
Call our office and we'll tell you what to do. If it is lost a day or two before the next appointment, it should be OK.

Trans-Palatal Arch (TPA), Lingual Arch out:
Try to grasp the loose end with clean tweezers and put it back into the attachment on the brace. If you can't get it back in, call our office.

Wire tie or Elastic "Donut" came off:
Not to worry. Unless it hurts, you can wait until your next appointment.

Loose Wire:Try to grasp the loose end of the arch wire with clean tweezers and gently slide it back into the tube. If you can't get it back in, place wax over the loose end and call our office.

For accidents involving your teeth, call your general dentist immediately. If you run out of Rubber Bands, stop by the office to pick up another bag or call us and we can mail you a bag.