Call our office as soon as possible if you break or loosen any of your appliances. Please do not come directly to the office – by calling us, you will allow us to create a time to see you. Even if you have a regular appointment scheduled, call us immediately to notify us if you need an appliance repaired.
Wire Irritations
Sometimes discomfort caused by a wire on your braces can be resolved by moving the wire away from the irritated area with a cotton swab or eraser. If the wire will not move, try covering the end of it with a small piece of cotton or a small amount of wax. If the wire is painful, you can cut it with nail clippers or scissors that have been washed and sterilized in alcohol. If you cannot resolve the wire irritation, call our office for an appointment.
Broken Brackets / Bands
In the event that a bracket or band comes loose from a tooth, it is important for you to call our office immediately. Do not wait until your next appointment to see if we can fix it then! More time is necessary to repair breakages and we need to schedule accordingly.
At your last appointment, Dr. Donato recorded what he was planning to do at your next appointment. They know how long it takes to perform each procedure and our office schedules accordingly to stay on time and dedicate proper time to each of our patients. That is why we will often reschedule to repair broken braces. We realize this may inconvenience your schedule and therefore we ask that we be notified in advance — even if the breakage occurs earlier in the day of your appointment.
When you have a broken bracket or band, please bring it with you to your repair appointment. Often it can be repaired, cleaned and replaced. It is our office policy to repair several breakages at no additional cost to you. If breakage becomes excessive, there is a fee for repairs.
Remember, when braces are broken, treatment completion is often delayed. Help us give you the smile you want — on time!
Loose Brackets or Bands
Call our office immediately for advice if a bracket or wire is loosened. The bracket may need to be re-fitted as soon as possible. You may have a situation that requires cutting a wire or sliding a bracket off a wire at night or over the weekend. If you need to cut a wire in case of emergency, you may use fingernail clippers that have been washed and sterilized in alcohol. Please call our office the next business day, so that we may schedule an appointment for you.
Lost Separators
Most patients lose a separator during their treatment. Do not worry about losing a separator, but call our office to see if it needs to be replaced. Sometimes when a separator appears lost it may be submerged into the gum tissue and can cause discomfort – if this occurs, please call the office.
Discomfort with Orthodontic Treatment
During the first week after your braces are in place and routine adjustments are complete, you will likely feel some pain, soreness or discomfort. You may take acetaminophen or other non-aspirin pain relievers while you adjust to your new braces. A warm washcloth or a heating pad may reduce the soreness in your jaws.
