Emergency Care

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 True orthodontic emergencies are very rare, but when they do occur we are available to you. As a general rule, you should call the office when you experience increased discomfort or when you have an appliance problem that you can’t take care of yourself. We’ll be able to schedule an appointment to resolve the problem. If the office is closed you may contact the Ottawa Dental Emergency Service at 613-523-4185 (please, note that this service is run by general dentists, you will not see an orthodontist, and there is a fee for service). You may always leave a message and we will return your call when we arrive back in the office. Either way we will respond to your concerns as soon as possible.

You might be surprised to learn that you may be able to temporarily solve many problems yourself until you schedule an appointment with our office. When working with your appliances, you need to know the names of the parts of your appliances so you are able to identify what part is broken or out of place. After alleviating your discomfort, it is very important that you still call our office as soon as possible to schedule a time to repair the problem. We will then determine if your problem demands an extra visit, or can be addressed during your next regular appointment. Allowing your appliance to remain damaged for an extended period of time may result in disruptions in your treatment plan.

The following solutions may help you relieve your discomfort:

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Poking Wire

Using a pencil eraser, push the poking wire down or place wax on it to alleviate the discomfort. Loose Bracket or Band.

If your bracket or band is still attached to the wire, you should leave it in place and put wax on it. If the wire comes out entirely, wrap the bracket with a tissue.

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Loose Wire

Using tweezers, try to place your wire back into place. If doing this and using wax doesn’t help, as a last resort use a small fingernail clipper to clip the wire behind the last tooth to which it is securely fastened. If your discomfort continues, place wax on it.

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Loose Appliance

If your appliance is poking you, place wax on the offending part of your appliance.

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General Soreness

When you get your braces on, you may feel general soreness in your mouth and teeth may be tender to biting pressures for three to five days. This can be relieved by rinsing your mouth with a warm salt water mouthwash. Dissolve one teaspoonful of salt in 8 ounces of warm water, and rinse your mouth vigorously. If the tenderness is severe, take Tylenol or whatever you normally take for headache or similar pain.

The lips, cheeks and tongue may also become irritated for one to two weeks as they toughen and become accustomed to the surface of the braces. You can put wax on the braces to lessen this. We’ll show you how!