Orthodontic emergencies are never a fun experience, which is why patients and parents need to keep the following prevention methods in mind!
If you or your child is currently undergoing orthodontic treatment, then you’ll understand that there will generally be some temporary discomfort at the beginning of the process and after adjustment appointments.
When it comes to orthodontic emergencies, you should know that these scenarios are usually minor and very rare. Nevertheless, it doesn’t hurt to simply know what you or your child should do in the case of an orthodontic emergency situation. So below we’ll be going over different types of common orthodontic emergencies, and the prevention methods you can take to avoid them from happening in the first place!
Major Orthodontic Emergencies
About half of all children experience some kind of dental injury while they’re growing up, and these injuries are generally caused by sports-related injuries, falls and other accidents. Although children are more likely to experience dental/orthodontic emergencies, there’s no doubt about it that adults are at risk as well.
Some of the most common major dental/orthodontic emergencies include the following:
- Broken jaw
- Broken tooth
- Root fracture
- Misplaced or dislodged tooth
It will always be absolutely critical to seek out medical assistance as soon as you can when one of these major emergencies occur, and it’s important to keep in mind that these types of scenarios will likely impact your orthodontic treatment. So when a major dental incident happens during orthodontic treatment, you’ll need to come see Dr. Karpac so he can determine whether or not you need adjustments or a replacement of your orthodontic appliance.
Preventing Major Orthodontic Emergencies
We all know that accidents simply happen no matter how careful we are, but there are certain preventative measures that you can take to protect your teeth and oral health on a regular basis.
A common example of this would be if your child plays sports, because they should be utilizing an ADA-approved mouth guard to protect their teeth, tongue, lips and gums. Some other everyday prevention tips will include wearing a seatbelt and always following our team’s instructions about properly taking care of and wearing your orthodontic appliance.
Minor Orthodontic Emergencies
The vast majority of orthodontic emergencies will be much more minor as compared to the above list, and many minor orthodontic emergency situations will be oriented around issues with an appliance. The following are some common minor emergency issues that you or your child may experience:
Poking Wire
Feeling a little sore for a day or two from a newly acquired or tightened orthodontic appliance is normal, but it’s never a good thing when you find out that you’re being poked by a loose wire!
The good news is that you can easily move an orthodontic wire by utilizing a cotton swab or tweezers, but your best bet is always to come into one of our offices and have Dr. Karpac permanently alleviate this discomfort.
Loose Wire, Bracket or Elastic Band
Loose wires, brackets and elastic bands are many times caused by a patient eating hard or sticky food like candy. It can also be caused by brushing too aggressively or playing with braces too much.
You can cover the sensitive area with orthodontic wax to prevent discomfort until you come into one of our offices to have the situation fully resolved.
Broken Retainer
It’s always a bummer when a retainer is broken, partly because there isn’t much you can do in this situation except get a replacement. If you find yourself in the situation in which you can’t get your replacement for a number of days, then a temporary fix will be to wear a protective mouth guard to protect your teeth. It is also possible to obtain a temporary retainer until you obtain your new one.
Persistent Soreness
Soreness is of course a sign that your teeth are shifting, but most patients will only experience soreness for a couple of days after initiating treatment or undergoing an adjustment appointment.
But this subsequently means that soreness will be more common than you may originally have assumed, because moving teeth will generally cause tenderness within your mouth.
Some tips to prevent this type of pain would include using common pain relieving medicine or dental gel to minimize the pain in specific areas. You can also try rinsing your mouth out with salt water and putting a heating pad up against your jaw on a daily basis.
Loose Orthodontic Appliance
It’s common for your orthodontic appliance to feel a little bit looser as your teeth shift during treatment, so although this situation can be a bit annoying you can at least know that your teeth are getting straighter!
However, your orthodontic appliance needs to fit properly in order for it to effectively do its job, so if you do notice any unusual looseness then you should come in for an appointment to have your appliance adjusted. Although this type of adjustment may result in some minor discomfort, it’s what is necessary to keep your treatment schedule on track and properly shift your teeth into their correct positioning.
Preventing Minor Orthodontic Problems
The best way to prevent these types of minor orthodontic issues from occurring is to follow the instructions that Dr. Karpac and our team provided to you about taking care of your appliance and properly wearing it. It’s also very important to avoid hard/stick foods that can cause issues with your appliance, and to thoroughly brush your teeth on a daily basis.
Keeping a mini care kit with you on a daily basis is also a good idea to avoid certain minor issues. This kit can include things like:
- Orthodontic wax
- A mouth mirror
- Sterilized nail clippers
- Extra rubber bands
- And more…
When you have certain items on you when you’re away from home, you can potentially fix a minor issue on your own before it gets worse and requires an appointment.
Never Hesitate To Reach Out To JK Orthodontics When You Or Your Child Is Experiencing An Orthodontic Emergency
You can always count on the JK Orthodontics team for all of your orthodontic services, and this includes emergency orthodontics.
So no matter what type of emergency services you or your child requires, don’t hesitate to contact us online or call us directly at 614-766-0330 (Dublin office) or 614-471-6355 (Gahanna office) to have your emergency situation efficiently resolved!