Orthodontic Emergencies – McKinney, TX

Are you dealing with increased soreness or a loose wire? Worried your damaged appliance will negatively impact your treatment timeline? The truth is that it can if you leave it untreated for too long. Fortunately, at OakBrook Dental and Orthodontics, Dr. Coughlin is a board-certified orthodontist who can quickly treat your problem area and alleviate irritation, reduce discomfort, and help you feel better in less time with treatment for orthodontic emergencies in McKinney, TX. By calling our dental office, we will work to schedule your appointment as soon as possible, ensuring you achieve relief and avoid the potential for a delay in treatment. But in the meantime, we will offer helpful suggestions as to how you can treat your orthodontic emergency at home.

Some of the tips you can expect to receive include:

Soreness and Discomfort

It is natural to experience some soreness and discomfort in the days after having your braces put into place. You may even feel some minor pain after having a wire tightened, but this is completely normal. In fact, it means that your teeth are moving, which is exactly what we want them to do! But we also understand this level of discomfort can be difficult to manage, which is why we recommend an over-the-counter pain reliever (i.e., Tylenol, Advil) as well as a warm saltwater rinse. Should the discomfort you’re experiencing last longer than one week, don’t hesitate to call our dental office.

Loose/Lost Bracket

Depending on the actual problem, you have a few ways of handling this type of situation. If your bracket is loose, all you need is some dental wax to help hold it in place until your appointment. If your bracket has completely fallen off, make sure to retrieve and store it before bringing it to our dental office as soon as possible. We will need to reattach the bracket to avoid a serious delay in your treatment.

Loose Wire

A loose wire is a possibility when wearing traditional braces. Should this happen to notice that your archwire is easily moved by your tongue, use a pair of tweezers to gently pull it back into place. If you are unsuccessful or worry you might cause additional damage or problems, try to bend the wire at the ends with fingernail clippers. This will help to keep it in place until you reach our dental office for additional help.

Poking Wire

You will quickly learn how beneficial dental wax can be to alleviating irritation and discomfort. If one of your archwires is poking you, try using the wax to avoid additional irritation. If necessary, you can also use the eraser or a pencil to bend the wire down so that it is flat against your tooth. To minimize the potential of accidentally swallowing a piece of the wire (should it break off), you can also use a cotton ball or piece of gauze to wrap around the area.