Orthodontic Emergencies at Home and What You Can Do About It
You might not think about it, but your dental braces can crop up at home when you least expect it. The first thing that you must know should you find yourself dealing with dental emergencies is not panic. Pick up the phone and get in touch with your orthodontist and how soon you’d be able to see them.
The good news is that not all dental emergencies require immediate attention from a dental expert. If anything else, there are ways that you can cope at least before you can get to an orthodontic clinic for a professional fix.
In this article, we will go over how you can manage most dental emergencies at home. You can start by stocking up on the following:
- Cotton buds
- tweezers
- dental wax
- painkillers
- anesthetics (topical
- dental floss
- toothpicks
Managing common dental emergencies
Mouth sores
One of the most common dental problems that people can encounter at home is mouth sores. They tend to be a common problem for people that wear metal braces. That said, if it ends up becoming a severe and recurring problem, it might help to switch to clear braces.
Pain and discomfort associated with mouth sores can be alleviated with the help of topical anesthetics. If anything else, it’ll reduce the pain and allow you to carry on with your day.
Painful/Uncomfortable braces
People who are new to braces can find it uncomfortable and painful to wear. These sensations might persist in weeks or even months after the treatment. If this has been your experience, then it’s possible that there might be an underlying issue.
There are ways to manage the pain, such as gurgling with warm water-salt solution and taking pain killers. If the problem persists or gets progressively worse, you would want to discuss it with your orthodontist.
If it helps, many orthodontic clinics like Super Smile have websites that you can use to get in touch with their orthodontic experts over the Internet.
Broken dental brackets
In some cases, the wires coming loose can cause the brackets to snap. In this case, you will need dental wax to secure the loose brackets until they can be properly adjusted.
Disjointed wires (on dental braces)
Another common problem that people encounter when using dental braces is that the dental wires can become loose, which might end up injuring the gums.
In this situation, you can press the wire firmly against the teeth using a clean cotton bud. This should help keep the wire in place until your orthodontist gets the chance to fix it.
What falls as an emergency when it comes to dental braces?
It’s not always easy to determine whether problems with your braces warrants immediate attention from your orthodontist or not. The only way to find out is to contact your orthodontist first and describe the issue. They can then tell you whether or not the situation is an emergency and what you should do about it.
