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Emergencies
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CONTACT US For an emergency visit please contact our office. Most problems can wait until the next business day. If you have an emergency that requires immediate attention after office hours, our main phone number (760) 489-0330 will give you instructions on how to get in touch with one of our trained assistants or the doctor. Click here for a printable PDF file on the emergencies listed below. EMERGENCY APPOINTMENT TIMES Emergency time is held open during each working day so that we may schedule you as soon as possible during normal clinic hours. Please understand, that emergency times typically are during the morning or early afternoon hours and we may not be able to offer you your "ideal" time for an emergency appointment. If the office is closed and you would like us to contact you when we return to the office, please leave a message on our voice mail at (760) 489-0330. TYPES OF EMERGENCIES The following brief outline describes how dental emergencies should be handled during orthodontic treatment. Dental emergencies while wearing braces or other orthodontic appliances usually fall into two categories: (1) Emergencies related to orthodontic appliances, or (2) Direct injuries to the mouth and teeth. EMERGENCIES RELATED TO ORTHODONTIC APPLIANCES Broken or damaged appliances
can occur from time to time during your orthodontic care. If there
is any disturbance, such as loose bands or broken or poking wires,
call our office as soon as possible so we can evaluate the urgency
of the problem and schedule you to be seen accordingly. In the interim,
the following are helpful hints to remedy some of the problems you
may encounter until you can be seen in our office.
If a rubber spacer falls out, take two pieces of dental floss and insert them through the spacer. Then pull on both pieces of floss to stretch the spacer and slide the spacer back and forth between the two teeth where it belongs. When the bottom half of the spacer slips under the tight spot between the teeth, release and remove the floss and the spacer should now be back in place. If a wire is causing irritation, try pushing the wire away from the area being irritated using the eraser end of a pencil or a Q-Tip. If the wire cannot be tucked in, cover the end of the wire with a small piece of wax, a cotton ball, or a piece of sugarless gum, until you can see your orthodontist for a adjustment. Cutting the wire should only be done as a last resort if professional help is unavailable. If the main wire has come out of the tube or pipe on the back molar tooth, you may attempt to reinsert the wire with a pair of needle nosed pliers or tweezers. If you are having a difficult time and the wire is not sticking you, place a piece of wax over the area. If the wire is sticking you and wax does not help, the wire can be cut with a small wire cutter or toenail clipper close to the back of the last brace. Cutting the wire should only be done as a last resort if professional help is unavailable. If a bracket (the small rectangular brace) is loose, in most cases, it will remain connected to the main wire by a little rubber ring that is often colored. A loose band or bracket can generally be left in place until you are seen in our office. You may use a pair of eyebrow tweezers to reposition the brace if it flips around the wire and becomes a source of irritation. Call our office as soon as you notice a loose band or bracket so we can schedule you to be seen to reattach the loose appliance. If a piece of your braces breaks, save the piece and call your orthodontist to schedule a repair visit. If the archwire breaks, or if it is irritating the gum or cheek tissue, please call the office to for an appointment to be seen as soon as possible for replacement or adjustment. If you swallow a piece of your appliance, try to remain calm. A swallowed piece will usually go either into the stomach or the lungs. Most of the time it will go in the stomach and pass out of the body in a bowel movement. However, if difficulty breathing is experienced, you should seek immediate medical attention. X-rays will be taken to determine the position of the swallowed piece and your physicians will counsel you on your options concerning retrieval of the stray piece. If your headgear gets bent or is not fitting well it should not be worn until it can be properly adjusted in our office. If a retainer cracks, remove the retainer from your mouth and bring all the pieces to your orthodontist for a professional repair. If your teeth are sore after a monthly visit take aspirin, Tylenol or ibuprofen unless you are allergic to them. Rinsing your mouth with a teaspoon of salt dissolved in a glass of warm water can also be soothing. If you teeth get sore suddenly in the middle of the month, give your orthodontist a call because it is unusual for the teeth to get sore several weeks after your last office visit. If food becomes stuck between your teeth, use dental floss or a proxy brush to dislodge the food. It sometimes helps to tie a small knot in the middle of the floss and then slide the floss back and forth through the food mass. DIRECT INJURIES TO THE MOUTH AND TEETH Following a direct injury to your mouth or teeth, you should be seen by your regular dentist as soon as possible. Usually a radiograph of the involved tooth or teeth is needed to ascertain the extent of the injury. Please call our office immediately after seeing your family dentist. If orthodontic appliances are dislodged or displaced, we will need to replace or adjust them as soon as possible. If you are unable to reach your family dentist, call our office and we will be happy to assist you in the care of the injury.
If you cut the inside of your cheek, gums or tongue, apply finger pressure to the bleeding site for several minutes. If the bleeding won't clot, call your orthodontist or primary care-family dentist. If you break off part of your tooth, locate the broken piece and take it to your primary care-family dentist immediately. He or she can place a medication on the damaged tooth and can sometimes glue the broken piece back on. If a permanent tooth gets loose, call your orthodontist to discuss the movement. A little movement is normal when wearing braces, but if a tooth can be pushed upward towards the gums with just finger pressure, that is unusual. If a permanent tooth is knocked out of your mouth completely, pick the tooth up by its top or crown, not by its root(s). Inspect the tooth. If the tooth is clean, place the tooth back into its socket immediately. If the tooth is dirty, rinse the tooth off by jiggling it in a cup off water or milk before placing it back in its socket. Do not scrub the tooth. Compare the appearance of the tooth to neighboring teeth to make sure the tooth is not turned around backward. Hold the tooth in its socket and immediately go to your primary care-family dentist. If it is not possible for you to reinsert the tooth in its socket, place the tooth in a container of milk or cool water and carry it to your dentist immediately. If the tooth remains outside of the mouth for over 30 minutes, it will seldom survive. If you think that you have broken your jaw, immobilize the jaw by any means (handkerchief, necktie, towel). If swelling is present, apply cold compresses. Call your primary care-family dentist or go immediately to a hospital emergency room. Have relatives bring any picture of your smile to the hospital to aid the surgeons in reestablishing your bite and smile. It is important to realize that broken or loose appliances cannot do the orthodontic work that they need to do. Delay in contacting the office to make necessary adjustments or repair leads to delay in treatment and will lengthen the amount of time needed to finish treatment. |
