You may be able to solve many braces problems temporarily by yourself until you schedule a repair appointment with our office. These problems need not cause delay in your treatment.

LOOSE BAND OR BRACKET If band or bracket is still attached to wire, leave in place. If uncomfortable, place wax on it. If it comes out completely, wrap brace or bracket in a tissue and bring to your next appointment.

LOOSE WIRE Try to place wire back in place with tweezers. If that is not possible, clip wire with fingernail clippers behind last tooth to which it is securely fastened. If any discomfort, place wax on it.

POKING WIRE Try to push sticking wire down with a spoon or eraser, If not possible, place wax on it.

LOST TIEWIRE OR ELASTIC TIE Notify us at next appointment.

HEADGEAR DOES NOT FIT Sometimes caused by not wearing as prescribed. If facebow is bent, call office at once.

LOOSE APPLIANCE If appliance is sticking or poking, place wax on it. If loose - call office.

If you feel you are unable to handle a problem on your own, please call us as soon as possible.

Many problems can be avoided with good dental BRUSHING AND FLOSSING

Flossing
Insert floss behind archwire. Gently clean sides of teeth and under gums with an up-and-down motion. floss between all teeth once a day.

USE A SOFT TOOTHBRUSH! BRUSH SLOWLY! TAKE YOUR TIME!

SEE YOUR GENERAL DENTIST REGULARLY WHILE YOU WEAR BRACES!

Do not use any implements other than those you were instructed to use for cleaning the appliances. The instruments that are allowed include: toothbrush, dental floss, water pick, floss threader and interproximal brushes.

Do not pull on or pick at the appliances.

Tooth pain after the braces have been adjusted
A frequent problem is tooth pain for several days after the braces have been adjusted. This tends to make eating more difficult. One suggestion is to make sure soft foods are available. Another simple step to take is to use non-prescription pain relievers such as you would for a headache. Examples of these are Tylenol or Advil.

Irritation of lips and cheeks
Irritation of lips and cheeks from braces rubbing tends to occur when the braces are first placed.
Relief Wax is available and can provide comfort while you get used to your braces. To apply the wax, pinch off a small piece and roll it into a ball the size of a pea. After the wax is squeezed into a small disc and then pushed onto the brace where the irritation is occurring. Finally, the wax is pushed to cover the top and the bottom of the brace Typically, the wax is used when eating and it is not unusual for the wax to fall of and be eaten. There should be no concerns about eating the wax as no medications are present.

Ligatures come off the brace while eating sticky foods
Small round donut shaped elastic ligatures are used to keep the wire and brace together (in the following image, they are light blue). If sticky foods are eaten, they can partially or completely come off the brace. Using small tweezers, they can be put back around the brace

Brace is knocked during sport or while eating a hard food
Braces are attached to teeth with a special adhesive and tend to sit in the middle of your teeth.
If a brace is knocked during sport or while eating a hard food, the attachment to the tooth will fail. This is often first noticed when brushing and the brace appears off of center on the tooth.
A visit to the orthodontist is necessary to repair this type of problem. Occasionally, the brace is rotated on the wire and sticks out into the lip.
Again tweezers may be used to correct this problem. First slide the brace so that it is in between two teeth. Then push the brace around and back up against the tooth.

Protruding Wire
If a wire is protruding out the end of the last brace or if a thin wire is coming off the braces and irritating your lips and cheeks, a small key chain nail clipper can be helpful.