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What to do in case of emergency

Call our office at (510) 581-7851, or call (510) 690-5955 after regular office hours as soon as possible, if you break or loosen any of your orthodontic appliances.  By calling us, we will be able to provide you with instruction as well as making an appointment to see you.  Even if you have a regular appointment scheduled, please call us to notify us if you need an appliance repaired.  The following are some common orthodontic emergencies and solutions.

Irritation caused by wires

Using a pencil eraser or a Q-tip, gently push the wire away from the irritated area.  If the wire will not move, try covering the end of it with a small piece of cotton or a small amount of wax.  Then call us to schedule an adjustment as soon as possible.

Loose brackets or bands

The bracket usually remains connected to the main wire by a small rubber colored ring.  If the bracket flips around the wire and creates irritation, use eyebrow tweezers to reposition the brace.  Usually brackets and bands may need to be re-fitted as soon as possible.  Call us for the next step advice .

The main wire dislodges from the tube on your back molar

Try to reinsert the wire with a pair of needle-nosed pliers or tweezers.  If the wire isn’t sticking into your flesh, place a piece of wax over the end.  If the wire is sticking into your flesh and wax doesn’t help, call us as soon as possible

A rubber separator or spacer falls out

Most patients lose a separator during their treatment. Insert two pieces of dental floss through a seperator. Pull on both pieces of floss to stretch it, then slide it back and forth between the two teeth where it belongs. Once the bottom half of the seperator slips under the contact between the teeth, release and remove the floss.  The seperator should fit back into place properly.

You swallow a piece of your appliance.

Remain calm!  This should move smoothly into the stomach and pass out of the body in a bowel movement.  However, if you experience difficulty breathing, you should seek immediate medical attention. Also call us immediately.

Your retainer cracks.

Stop wearing the cracked retainer. Remove it from your mouth and bring all the pieces to our office.  Call us for an appointment as soon as possible.

Food becomes stuck between your teeth.

Use dental floss or a tufted proxy brush to dislodge the food.