What to do in case of emergency
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 call us immediately so that we can discuss with you exactly what needs to be done.

Loose brackets or bands
Call us to schedule a repair appointment. If the bracket or band is still attached to the wire, leave it in place. If it is causing discomfort, cover with wax. If it comes out completely, bring it with you to the repair appointment.

Wire irritations
If the wire has come out of the tube, try to place it back into the tube with tweezers. If unsuccessful, cover with wax and call for an appointment. If the wire is causing discomfort by poking you, bend the wire back with a pencil eraser. If that does not work, cover with wax and call for an appointment. For wires that are long and painful, you can cut it with nail clippers or small wire cutters and cover with wax. Also, call us for an appointment.

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.

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 pain relievers while your mouth adjusts to the changes. You can use the following over-the-counter medications for orthodontic irritations of the lips, cheek and tongue:

• Glyoxide (gel)
• Zilactin (paste)
• Kanka (stick)
• Rincinol (liquid)