Orthodontic Emergencies

After you get your braces on, some people feel some soreness and teeth can become tender when you eat for three to five days after your braces are put on.

Saltwater rinses or the placement of a gum numbing gel like Orajel on the affected area can reduce the discomfort. If those don’t work, ibuprofen can help relieve the tenderness.

To address irritation on the inner cheeks and lips, we suggest placing dental wax on the braces.

If your teeth begin feeling a little loose, don't worry—it’s normal! Your braces must loosen your teeth first to move them into the right position.

Once your teeth are aligned and you finish your orthodontic treatment at Sturgill Orthodontics, your teeth will tighten back up.

Separators are often used to open a space between your teeth so that bands can be placed on molar teeth. The separators are usually only in place for 7-14 days before they are removed and replaced with bands.

It’s not usual for the separators to become loose and fall out. Don’t worry about losing one but please call our Johnson City or Norton office to see if it needs to be replaced.

Right after you get your braces put on, and sometimes after an adjustment, your teeth and mouth will be a little sensitive. To alleviate any discomfort, you can take acetaminophen or another non-aspirin pain reliever.

Follow the instructions on the package carefully. You may also dissolve one teaspoon of salt in eight ounces of lukewarm water and gargle with the mixture. A warm washcloth or a heating pad is another option for reducing soreness in your jaw.

Brackets are the individual brace that is placed on a tooth. Should a bracket fall off, please place the bracket in a Ziploc bag and call our Johnson City or Norton office
to see if the bracket needs to be refitted.

If the bracket becomes loose but is still attached to the wire, just place some wax on it and leave it in place until we can schedule a visit to fix it.

Try moving the wire away from the irritated area with a cotton swab or eraser. If the wire won’t move, cover the end of it with a small piece of orthodontic wax.

If the wire is really poking your cheek, very carefully cut it with nail clippers or scissors that have been washed and sterilized in alcohol.

If a wire gets severely bent from a tooth hitting it, the wire can become dislodged from the brackets.

When this happens, there are two ways to handle it:

• Attempt to put the wire back in place using tweezers that have been washed and sterilized in alcohol.
• If that doesn’t work, you can put wax over the wire where it’s poking you. Place wax on the excess wire if it continues to cause irritation and call our office so we can fix the wire.

Break out your trusty clean and sterilized nail clippers if you have to cut the wire and cut it behind the last bracket in which it’s secured.

If you are in Invisalign treatment and you accidentally lose an Invisalign tray, please give us a call to see what can be done.

Everyone's treatment is prescribed differently, and resolutions can vary between patients.

Attachments are used in Invisalign treatment to help the tray fit your teeth and help move your teeth throughout treatment.

If an attachment is displaced or broken, the tooth does not move in the tray effectively, which may prolong treatment.

Call us immediately to see what can be done.