SOS Orthodontics - Help for problems with braces
Removable orthodontic appliances
Your orthodontic appliances is pinching your gum
First you need to determine whether your appliances are pinching your gum or pressing against the teeth, which can hurt a little but indicates the tooth-movement we want to achieve. If your appliance is pinching your gum and the pain does not pass, please make an emergency appointment.
Broken removable appliance
If a little piece is missing in a place where it is not bothering, you can keep wearing your removable appliance till you have your next appointment.
If your removable appliance is broken in two, not fitting any more or bothering you, please call for an emergency appointment.
If the wire broke off your removable braces, please call for an emergency appointment.
Your removable appliance does not fit
This could have different reasons:
- If you are setting your removable appliances with a key, it is possible that your jaw is not adjusting just as fast, which can be due to insufficient wearing time. In this case, it might help to set your removable appliance backwards once, against the direction of the arrow (or more often, if necessary).
If this does not lead to the desired effect, please call for an emergency appointment. - A milk tooth that wobbles can cause removable appliances not to fit right. If you don’t loose the tooth promptly(within a week), please make an emergency appointment.
- With a removable retainer that does not have to be adjusted, the recommended wearing time is of great importance, because otherwise your teeth can change position again. If that is the case, please make a check-up appointment.
Fixed Braces
1. Pain after getting your new fixed braces or a new arch wire.
When getting new fixed braces you might feel pain which is due to tooth movement. Particularly when chewing hard foods you will feel tensions, which can express themselves as masticatory sensitivity. We recommend to stick to soft foods during this first few days.
If the masticatory sensitivity should affect you strongly, you can take a mild pain killer such as Paracetamol or Aspirin (please pay attention to the instruction of the manufacturers). Complaints can occur in different intensity and length. If you should be uncertain, please call us in practice.
2. A bracket got loose
If a bracket loosens please call for an emergency appointment as soon as possible.
3. An arch wire got loose or sticks out
Since your teeth are moving, it can happen that the end of the arch wire sticks out and pokes into your gum or cheek.
You may cover the bothering wire with a pea-sized piece of the protection-wax. Dry the spot (wire) with a Q-tip or paper towel before covering it.If the wire is not bothering too much you can stick to the previously agreed appointment, but if it’s really bothering, please call for an emergency appointment.
4. Loss of an elastic- or metal-tien
The arch wire which is put into the brackets is kept in place by either elastic-ties or metal-ties. If one of those goes missing it usually can stay like this until your next appointment. But pay attention to that tooth. If it changes position please call for an emergency appointment.
5. Palatal bar
If the secured palate bar should loosen, it can be put back into the intended place with the fingers and we will secure it again on your next check-up date. If the palate bar is bent or loosens repeatedly please call for an emergency appointment.
6. Gaps between the teeth
In the beginning of your orthodontic treatment gaps between your teeth can occur but will usually disappear in time. Nevertheless, if you are unsure, please call.
7. The rubber chain
You may get a rubber chain over the brackets to keep them in place. If this chain breaks, call for an emergency appointment to get a new one.
8. Small hook for attaching rubber bands (elastics) got loose
Please call for an emergency appointment to renew it. If your next regular appointment is within one week, you can also stop wearing your elastics.
Other Appliances
Temporomandibular joint appliances or anti-snoring appliances
If your appliance is broken, defect or bothering you a lot, please call for an emergency appointment. In some cases it can be repaired or mended, but usually we need to make a new one, which means you have to bring it to the practice so we can determine how to proceed. If your appliance shows discolouration (turns yellow) we can give you a special cleaning powder.
Palatal expanders
Should your palatal expander get loose, please call for an emergency appointment right away.
If you have food debris stuck under it, you can try to get it out with a toothbrush or dental water jet. Try not to eat fibrous foods.
During your treatment your palate and teeth might be very sensitive to pressure, caused by the stretching of your upper jaw.
If you feel insecure, please call us in practice.
Face-masks
If your chin- or forehead pads are worn off, you will find additional pads in the package we gave you before. If the attachment rubbers should be used up, you will receive new ones at any time in our practice. Please note the bags colour of the attachment rubbers, since there are different strengths.
If the mask is bent or the attachments loosen, please call for an emergency appointment. Please do not try to repair anything yourself.
Retainer loosens
Please call for an appointment to renew it, or your teeth will soon be out of place again.
If you have any further questions, which have not been answered in the texts above, please call us in practice.