Wake Forest Orthodontics

Emergency Information

What to do in Case of Emergency

Call our office as soon as possible if you break or loosen any of your appliances. Please do not come directly to the office. By calling us, you will allow us to determine your emergency needs in a timely manner. Even if you have a regular appointment scheduled in the coming week, call us immediately if your braces need to be repaired.

Possible emergency situations:

Loose Brackets or Bands

Call our office immediately for advice if a bracket or wire is loosened, or if a wire is poking you. The bracket may need to be re-fitted as soon as possible.

Wire Irritations

Sometimes discomfort caused by a wire on your braces can be resolved by moving the wire away from the irritated area with a cotton swab or pencil eraser. If the wire will not move, try covering the end of it with a small piece of orthodontic wax. If you cannot resolve the wire irritation, call our office for an appointment.

Lost Separators

Most patients lose elastic separators during their treatment. Do not worry about losing a separator, but call our office to see if it needs to be replaced.

Are sore teeth an emergency?

The amount of discomfort that most orthodontic patients experience is usually mild and of short duration. This low-grade dull ache is caused by irritation in the ligament that surrounds the tooth.

Tooth discomfort is highly individual, yet most patients achieve effective pain relief from 400-800 mg of an anti-inflammatory drug like ibuprofen (Advil or Motrin), naproxen (Naprosyn), or aspirin. Check with your doctor for potential side effects with other medications first or if you have a suspected allergy to any of these drugs. Typically, 400 mg every six hours is effective for patients weighing less than 135 lbs. For those over 135 lbs, effective pain relief can be achieved with 600-800 mg every eight hours. This medication is usually not required and not recommended for more than 3-5 days in a row. If you find that the pain continues for more time, contact Dr. Gladwell.

Efficient tooth movement can be delayed if anti-inflammatory pain medication is taken for too long a period of time, and kidney and liver damage have been found in patients taking these medications continuously over a long period of time without a doctor’s supervision. So, be very careful with your dosing and the length in which you take these medications.