Provider
Relieve Pain & Fix Braces & Clear Aligner Issues
True orthodontic emergencies are rare, but issues may occur occasionally during treatment to straighten your smile. Sometimes, a quick fix right away can keep you pain-free until you reach our office.
Painful rubbing, poking, and loose braces or wires that have slipped out of place can all be temporarily fixed with a little know-how.
Once you've addressed your discomfort, you should contact our office to schedule a time for us to correct the issue properly. Allowing your appliance to remain damaged for an extended period of time may result in disruptions to your treatment plan.
See below for ways to relieve general discomfort and temporarily fix appliance issues until you can visit your orthodontist for care.
How to Address Common Orthodontic Issues
Experiencing an orthodontic emergency? Stay calm. Try these quick and easy fixes to help relieve discomfort and keep your treatment on track, then contact us to schedule a proper repair.
General Soreness
When you get your braces on, you may experience general soreness in your mouth, and your teeth might be tender to biting pressures for three to five days. Stick to a soft diet until it no longer hurts your teeth when you chew.
Irritated gums and other sore spots can be eased by rinsing your mouth with a warm saltwater solution. Dissolve one teaspoon of salt in eight ounces of warm water and rinse your mouth thoroughly. If the pain is intense, take Acetaminophen (Tylenol®) or your usual pain reliever for headaches or similar discomfort. Aspirin, ibuprofen (Motrin®, Advil®), and Naproxen sodium (Naprosyn®, Anaprox®) can actually slow down tooth movement, so it is best not to use them frequently while wearing braces.
The lips, cheeks, and tongue may become irritated for one to two weeks after you first get your braces as they get used to them. You can apply wax to the braces to reduce friction. We'll even show you how!Loose Bracket
If your bracket or band is still attached to the wire, leave it in place and apply wax if needed for comfort. If the bracket or band can be removed easily, place it in an envelope and save it to bring to your next appointment.
Loose Wire
Use a pair of tweezers or needle-nosed pliers to reposition the wire. It's okay to use a piece of floss to secure the wire in place: tie the floss around the bracket instead of the missing colored o-ring.
If you can't position the wire comfortably and covering the end with wax doesn't help, as a last resort, use a small fingernail clipper to trim the wire behind the last tooth it's securely fastened to. If the end of the wire remains sharp, put wax on it.
Loose Appliance
If your appliance is poking you, try applying some wax to the area that's causing trouble. It can help make things more comfortable!
Poking Wire
Use a pencil eraser to push the poking wire down or apply wax to prevent it from poking.
Lost or Damaged Aligner
If an aligner is lost or damaged, contact us to let us know. Then, you can either return to wearing the aligner you used right before the one you lost (if you still have it) or put in your next aligner earlier.
The best option depends on how long you wore the lost aligner. If you just started wearing it, revert to the previous aligner. If you wore it for more than a week, consider moving to the next one.