Orthodontic Emergencies — Milford, MA

Toothache

Is a Toothache an Emergency?

Throughout your orthodontic treatment, it’s normal to feel some discomfort. While it may not seem like good news, it’s actually a sign that your braces are working to guide your teeth into their properly aligned positions! With that said, there are some warning signs of a deeper issue, including:

• Pain that lasts over 24 hours
• Discoloration
• Discomfort when biting down
• A bump on the gums near the tooth
• Fever, inflammation, and other symptoms of an infection

In cases like this, a toothache requires emergency treatment.

How you should handle toothaches:

Whether you’re struggling with minor pain or severe discomfort, it’s important not to ignore your toothache. Instead, call our team so we can schedule a time for you to come in for an exam. Depending on the root of the problem, we may recommend visiting your dentist for treatment. In the meantime, you can reduce your discomfort by placing a cold compress against the outside of your cheek, taking an over-the-counter pain reliever, and rinsing your mouth with a mixture of salt and warm water.

Loose Bracket or Wire

Is a Loose Bracket or Wire an Emergency?

Since loose brackets and wires typically aren’t painful, many patients assume they don’t need to schedule an appointment. On the contrary, it’s important that you do so we can help you stay on track with your treatment plan! That’s why we encourage our Milford patients to get in touch with us the moment a bracket or wire becomes loose.

How You Should Handle a Loose Bracket or Wire

If a piece of your braces fell off, then do your best to locate it and store it in a clean container. To protect your tongue, lips, and the soft tissue in your mouth, you should place a piece of dental wax over the bracket or wire. Once you arrive for your appointment, we can carefully reattach and re-stabilize your braces, putting you back on track with your treatment plan in no time!

Broken Bracket or Wire

Is a Broken Bracket or Wire an Emergency?

In short, the answer is “yes!” Broken brackets and wires have the potential to cut the soft tissue in your mouth, which can be quite painful. For this reason, it’s crucial that you get in touch with our Milford orthodontic team right away. That way, we can restore your braces and protect your smile immediately.

How You Should Handle a Broken Bracket or Wire

Similar to a loose bracket or wire, a broken piece of your braces might have fallen into your mouth or onto the floor. If you can, locate the piece or pieces and store them in a clean container so you can bring them with you to your appointment. Until then, cover the sharp edge with dental wax (or a piece of sugar-free gum!).

Poking Wire

Is a poking or protruding wire an emergency?

Absolutely! Broken wires that are left unaddressed can irritate your soft oral tissues and trigger a painful infection—and this can also lead to quite a bit of discomfort! But you shouldn’t have to suffer through this type of soreness; it can easily be corrected once you schedule an appointment with us.

How you should handle a poking or protruding wire:

Use a Q-tip or clean pencil eraser to gently push the protruding wire back into the correct position. If you’re unable to do so, you can apply orthodontic wax or sugar-free gum over the wire to prevent it from causing further harm. Once you’re here, we’ll help you put it back into place and ensure that it’s unlikely to become dislodged in the future.

Mouth Sores

Are mouth sores or irritation an emergency?

When you start wearing braces, you might notice the brackets rubbing up against your tongue, lips and cheeks, and as a result, you may experience irritation that leads to uncomfortable mouth sores. This is not uncommon at all, and many patients find that after a few weeks, the issue naturally begins to disappear as they adjust to their treatment.

How you should handle mouth sores or irritation:

If your sores aren’t healing quickly, or they’re becoming more aggravating, you should call us immediately so that we can inspect the area for infection and come up with a plan for getting you out of pain! In the meantime, you can rinse your mouth out with warm salt water and use orthodontic wax to cover your brackets; this barrier should help prevent further irritation.

Broken Ligature

Is a broken ligature an emergency?

If you wear ligatures, or rubber bands, as part of your orthodontic treatment, you should know that it’s quite easy to put them back in if they fall out. These elastics play a major role in keeping the wire attached to your braces, meaning that if any are broken, they need to be addressed quickly to ensure your treatment stays on track.

How you should handle a broken ligature:

If your ligatures are broken, you can try using sterile tweezers to carefully put them back in place. You can also use a cotton swab, Q-tip, or even a pencil eraser to bend it back into the correct position. If this doesn’t work, make an appointment with us to get things sorted out!

Soft Tissue Cuts

Is a cut lip, cheek, or tongue an emergency?

When you sustain a blow to the mouth or face, there’s a chance that your braces might accidentally cut your soft oral tissues. Sometimes, these types of injuries can bleed a lot, which might seem alarming—but they aren’t always considered an emergency. You can still come into our office and we’ll stitch the wound closed, if necessary. However, if you’re experiencing uncontrollable bleeding, you should head to the nearest emergency room.

How you should handle a cut lip, cheek, or tongue:

If you’ve suffered an oral laceration, try to clean the area with a wet washcloth and attempt to assess the damage. You can also rinse your mouth out with clean, lukewarm water. Apply pressure to the area to control the bleeding using a damp washcloth or a piece of gauze; within 10 minutes, the bleeding should stop, at which point you can also use a cold compress to help with any inflammation.

Something Stuck Between the Teeth

Broken or Lost Retainer

Loose Teeth