Summer Survival Guide for Braces: Enjoy Every Cookout, Beach Day, and Vacation Without Damaging Your Smile

Cut Lips, Cheeks, or Tongue

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

If you suffer from a facial injury, your braces could cut into your soft tissues. This type of injury may bleed a lot; however, they are not usually considered a dental emergency. If needed, Dr. Moon can stitch the wound closed, however if the bleeding has not stopped within five to ten minutes, head directly to your nearest emergency room.

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

Should an injury occur, gently clean the wound with a wet washcloth or by rinsing your mouth out. Then, apply pressure to the area to stop the bleeding. If you are in any pain, try an over-the-counter pain reliever and cold compress to ease any discomfort.

Broken Ligature

Is a broken ligature an emergency?

A ligature is a rubber band that holds your braces wires in place. Though it may be small, it’s also very mighty. In fact, if one breaks, the pressure along your teeth will not be evenly distributed. While a broken ligature is not necessarily a same-day treatment, be sure to contact Dr. Moon as soon as possible to be scheduled for a replacement appointment.

How you should handle a broken ligature:

First, be careful not to touch the affected area with your tongue or fingers. Once Dr. Moon performs the necessary repairs, be careful not to damage your new ligature by closely following the dietary and care guidelines and being mindful to avoid bad habits such as nail biting.

Mouth Sores or Irritation

Are mouth sores or irritation an emergency?

Much like toothaches, mouth sores from braces are frustrating, but completely normal. They happen because your soft tissues need time to adjust to your new wires and brackets and should clear up and feel much better within a few weeks.

How you should handle mouth sores or irritation:

If for any reason, your mouth sores don’t seem to be healing or begin to feel worse, call Dr. Moon as soon as possible. She can take a closer look at the affected areas and make sure you don’t have an infection and help determine the best way to relieve your pain.

Loose Teeth

Are Loose Teeth an Emergency? Usually, loose permanent teeth are a warning sign that something is wrong. However, it’s normal for your teeth to not feel as sturdy as they begin to move into their properly aligned positions. So, unless they feel like they are on the brink of falling out, you don’t need to schedule an emergency appointment.

How You Should Handle Loose Teeth If your teeth feel slightly loose from time to time during your orthodontic treatment, it’s a good idea to stick to soft, nutrient-dense foods, like plain yogurt. It goes without saying that you should avoid crunchy snacks, like raw nuts, and that you should continue to implement a solid oral hygiene regimen as well. If you are ever concerned, you can always give us a call, too – we’d be happy to answer any questions you have.

Broken or Lost Retainer

Is a Broken/Lost Aligner or Retainer an Emergency? Yes! There is one main reason for this: a broken/lost aligner or retainer can negatively impact the position of your teeth. So, whether there is a small, hairline crack running down the middle of yours or you can’t find them (even though you’ve looked everywhere you can think of), it’s important that you call our Fort Lauderdale orthodontist right away.

How You Should Handle a Broken or Lost Aligner/Retainer When you call, we will schedule an appointment for you with Dr. Ovy. We will also provide you with instructions on what to do until you arrive based on your unique situation. For example, if you lost your aligners, and we need to have replacements made, we will likely ask you to wear your previous set in the meantime.

Something Stuck Between the Teeth

Is Having Something Stuck Between the Teeth an Emergency? As your teeth move, you might find that our office. In fact, you’ll likely be able to remedy the situation with a few simple steps!

How You Should Handle Something Stuck Between the Teeth First, dissolve some salt in a cup of warm water. Then, rinse the mixture around in your mouth for 30 seconds at a time. This should help loosen the debris and alleviate inflammation. The last step is to use your floss of choice to gently remove what’s stuck between your teeth. If the debris remains firmly in place, then give us a call.

Broken Bracket or Wire

Is a broken bracket or wire an emergency? Compared to a loose bracket or wire, a broken one requires more urgent care. This part of your braces could start poking your soft tissues if it isn’t fixed quickly, irritating your gum tissue. Just make sure you don’t try to fix it yourself; see us for repairs instead.

How you should handle a broken bracket or wire: Before you see us for treatment, collect any broken bracket or wire pieces and bring them to your appointment. Reattachment may be possible depending on the situation. Otherwise, cover any sharp spots as best you can with dental wax or sugarless gum.

Loose Bracket or Wire

Is a loose bracket or wire an emergency? Most instances of loose brackets or wires aren’t painful, so they don’t often need urgent care. Still, you should try to have them fixed soon to keep your treatment on track; you could face delays to your straight smile otherwise. That means you should give us a call right away!

How you should handle a loose bracket or wire: If the bracket or wire is just a little loose, you can try to hold it in place with orthodontic wax. That often works well enough until your next visit with us. On the other hand, you should bring a bracket or wire that falls off completely to your appointment. Our team may be able to reattach it and restabilize your orthodontics right away.

Toothaches

Is a toothache an emergency? When they’re related to braces or aligners, toothaches aren’t often emergencies. A little pain is normal during any type of orthodontic work – many patients feel sore from having their teeth moved into new positions. That said, an ache can become an emergency if it persists, worsens, or starts to look discolored for many days. You’ll want to contact a professional at that point to consider your treatment options; anything less could lead to health issues.

How you should handle a toothache: If your tooth’s pain hasn’t faded after a few days, please contact us. Our team will see you as soon as possible to learn what’s causing the problem, or we’ll at least instruct you to call your regular dentist. While you wait for a full treatment, take pain relievers, apply ice packs, and have cold drinks to numb your ache and reduce swelling. You should then rinse with salt water to kill any bacteria from a potential infection; flossing to remove debris would also help.