Emergency Care
Managing Emergencies
True orthodontic emergencies are rare, but you should call us if you experience a problem that you feel cannot wait until your next regular appointment. You should also call us if something with your braces or appliance just doesn’t seem right. Our main office number is (630) 896-5400.
If you call after regular office hours, the answering machine will give you a phone number where one of our doctors can be reached. If the problem is severe and the doctor has not returned your call within 10 minutes, you should immediately seek care from your family dentist or a hospital emergency room.
Routine Orthodontic Problems
Most problems are easy to take care of on your own, for example:Poking Wire
Using a pencil eraser, push the poking wire out of the way or place wax on it to alleviate the discomfort.
Loose Bracket or Band
If your bracket or band is still attached to the wire, try to leave it in place until we can see you.
Loose Wire
Using tweezers, try to place your wire back into place. If doing this and using wax does not help, as a last resort use a small fingernail clipper to clip the wire behind the last tooth to which it is securely fastened.
Loose Appliance (space maintainer, expander, molar bands, etc)
If an expander or other appliance comes loose, please contact the office without delay.
Headgear Does Not Fit
Sometimes headgear discomfort is caused by not wearing the headgear as instructed by your orthodontist. Please refer to the instructions for wearing headgear provided in the packet of information you were given at the beginning of treatment. If the metal part is bent, please call our office for assistance. Surprisingly, the better you wear your headgear the fewer problems you will experience with it. Be sure to wear your headgear as instructed and be consistent in wearing it.
General Soreness
As your braces begin to work, you will feel general soreness in your mouth, and your teeth will be tender to biting pressures for three to five days. If the tenderness is severe, take Tylenol or other non-prescription medication you normally take for headache or similar pain. Kids—always remember to get permission from a parent to take any medicine!
The lips, cheeks and tongue may also become irritated for several days, but they quickly toughen up and become accustomed to the surface of the braces. You can put wax on the braces to lessen this. We'll show you how!
If discomfort is stronger than you expected, or lasts longer than you expected, please call us.