How to Manage Common Orthodontic Emergencies

Orthodontic treatments, such as braces and clear aligners, work to straighten your teeth and jaw, providing a smile that’s not only beautiful but also healthy. When your teeth and jaw are in alignment, you lower your risk of issues such as tooth decay, gum disease, and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders. 

No matter if you’ve chosen braces or clear aligners as your orthodontic treatment method, the appliances are vulnerable and can easily become damaged or lost. When dental trauma, injuries, or accidents occur and impact your orthodontic hardware, it may not be immediately obvious if you have an orthodontic emergency on your hands. 

So, our team, led by Farid Hanachi, DDS, PA, at Hanachi Orthodontics in Mooresville, North Carolina, wants to review some common orthodontic emergencies and what to do if you find yourself in an emergency situation in this month’s blog. 

Common orthodontic emergencies 

Orthodontic emergencies can occur when you incur a facial injury, bite down on hard or crunchy foods, or lose an orthodontic appliance. In these situations, you may experience one of the following, which all require immediate care from our team:

Broken bracket or wire

Whether you have clear or traditional metal braces, they’re made of brackets, bands, and wires. The brackets are attached to each tooth, and a wire runs through all of them. The band holds all of the hardware in place. 

If your face is injured or you bite down on something hard, a bracket can break, or the wire can become dislodged. In either case, you should see our team quickly. Not only can broken hardware cause your orthodontic treatment to become ineffective, but the broken pieces could be swallowed or cut the inside of your mouth. 

Broken or lost aligner

Clear aligners, such as the Spark™ system recommended at Hanachi Orthodontics, use a series of custom-fitted plastic trays to encourage your teeth to move. These appliances are removable, so you can eat and brush your teeth with ease. 

However, although the aligner material is comfortable to wear, the trays can break easily. In addition, the removable nature of the aligner tray makes it incredibly easy to misplace. 

If any of your trays become lost or broken, you need to immediately see our team to make a new tray; otherwise, the treatment could become ineffective. 

How to manage your orthodontic emergency 

If you’ve broken any part of your braces hardware, start by calling our office to schedule an emergency appointment. While you wait for your appointment time, place some dental wax over any sharp or broken pieces and rinse your mouth with salt water to clean any cuts. It’s incredibly important not to try to cut the wire yourself since this can cause more damage. 

For lost or broken aligner trays, your mouth isn’t at risk of injury, so no immediate care is required on your part. Simply call our office quickly and schedule an appointment to replace that tray. 

During your orthodontic treatment, if you ever have severe tooth pain, gum bleeding, or other concerns, don’t hesitate to call and see if an appointment is necessary before your next scheduled one. 

To schedule an orthodontic appointment for any reason, you can call our office or use our online booking feature.