Trouble With Braces

Orthodontic Emergency Care

True orthodontic emergencies are very rare. As a general rule, you should call the office when you experience severe pain or when you have a painful appliance problem that you can't take care of yourself. We will schedule an appointment to help resolve the problem or make the appropriate referral if the pain is related to an issue outside the scope of our practice.

You might be able to temporarily solve many minor problems yourself. 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. The diagram below identifies the most common components of traditional metal braces.

Common Parts to Traditional Braces

Physical Trauma To Teeth

For all dental emergencies, it’s important to visit your dentist as soon as possible. Most dentists reserve time in their daily schedules for emergency patients so be sure to call your dentist and provide as much detail as you can about your condition. If the accident occurs when your dental office is not open, visit your local emergency room.

Here are some recommended procedures by the American Dental Association if you should encounter physical trauma to your teeth.