8222 Douglas Avenue, Suite 650
Dallas, TX 75225
(214) 361-6644
info@drlindacrawford.com
Emergency Care
True orthodontic emergencies are very rare, but when they do occur we are available to you. As a general rule, you should call the office when you experience severe pain or when you have a painful appliance problem that you can't take care of yourself. We’ll be able to schedule an appointment to help resolve the problem or make the appropriate referral if the pain is related to an issue outside the scope of our practice.
You might be surprised to learn that you may be able to temporarily solve many minor problems yourself until you schedule an appointment with our office. When working with your appliances, you need to know the names of the parts of your appliances so you are able to identify what part is broken or out of place. After alleviating your discomfort, it is very important that you still call our office as soon as possible to schedule a time to repair the problem. Allowing your appliance to remain damaged for an extended period of time may result in disruptions in your treatment plan and/or damage to your teeth and surrounding structures.
In every situation, use your best judgment and common sense. If you would feel better talking with someone ASAP please call Dr. Crawford’s emergency number. The following solutions may help you relieve your discomfort:
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General Soreness
In the first few days after your braces have been placed you will probably feel some general soreness in your mouth and teeth. This usually goes away within one week and usually only happens to this degree when your appliances are first placed. We usually recommend that you take the pain reliever that works best for you three times a day for 5 days to make you more comfortable. Rinsing with warm water also helps. If your gums feel swollen mild, homemade salt water rinse also helps. Dissolve 1/3 to 1/2 teaspoonful of salt in 8 ounces of warm, and rinse your mouth vigorously.
The lips, cheeks and tongue may also become irritated for one to two weeks as they toughen and become accustomed to the surface of the braces. You can put wax on the braces to lessen this. We'll show you how!
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Poking Wire
If the wire is still in the bracket but feels sharp, place a piece of wax around the entire brace and wire. This may help keep your cheek away from the wire. If this is not possible try using a pencil eraser and push the poking wire either above or below the bracket or place wax on it to alleviate the discomfort.
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Loose Bracket
If your bracket or band is still attached to the wire, you should leave it in place and put wax on it. If the wire comes out entirely, wrap the bracket with a tissue and bring it to your appointment. We don’t reuse the bracket but many times we can determine why it came loose by looking at it. This helps us improve our service to our patients overall.
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Loose Wire
If your wire feels like it has come out of the brace, using a flashlight and tweezers, try to place your wire back into place.
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Loose Appliance
Call Dr. Crawford’s emergency number. If the appliance is still securely attached on one side of your mouth and you don’t feel like there is a danger of swallowing it, gently slide the loose side back onto the teeth and place wax on it. If a part of your appliance is poking you, place wax on the offending part. If the appliance has come completely off the teeth, clean it and place it in a small container to bring to our office.
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Headgear
If the headgear has been damaged do not wear it until Dr. Crawford has adjusted it. If you have just received your headgear and there is discomfort as you are increasing your wear time, this is usually normal. Sometimes headgear discomfort is caused by not wearing the headgear as instructed by your orthodontist. Please refer to the instructions provided by your orthodontist. Surprisingly, the headgear may hurt less if it’s worn more, so be sure you’re getting in the prescribed hours.
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