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Emergency Orthodontist – Holliston, MA

Solutions Designed to Relieve Pain and Repair Smiles

The process of wearing braces of any kind involves making the right decisions and taking the appropriate steps to not only ensure positive and life-changing results but to also reduce the risk of orthodontic emergencies. From broken brackets and loose wires to increased pain and soft tissue irritation, our team here at Simply Orthodontics is here to provide immediate care when you need it most! When attempting to find an orthodontist in Holliston, you’ll be pleased to learn that Dr. Sam Alkhoury and Dr. Alan Carlotto can employ useful techniques and beneficial solutions that will address your problem, minimize delays, and get your smile back on track. If you would like to learn more about what you can do to reduce pain and avoid more serious orthodontic problems at home while waiting to see one of our qualified orthodontic specialists, contact us today.

A young girl smiling with her eyes closed while holding her head between her hands

Why Choose Simply Orthodontics Holliston for Emergency Orthodontic Care?

What to Do in an Orthodontic Emergency

a patient suffering from oral pain

The world might feel like it’s coming to a screeching halt when you experience an orthodontic emergency; however, there’s no reason to feel overwhelmed! No matter what your situation looks like, keeping a clear head and quickly jumping into action will always be in your best interest. Here are some steps you should follow:

  1. Call Our Office – If you’re unsure about what to do upon experiencing an orthodontic emergency, you should call us swiftly; we can easily help you assess the situation over the phone and walk you through whatever steps you need to begin taking. Typically, this includes things like rinsing out your mouth, applying orthodontic wax or taking over-the-counter pain relievers.
  2. Schedule an Appointment – If your situation requires professional assistance, we’ll be sure to pencil you in for a same-day appointment. Upon arrival, we can inspect your orthodontic appliance(s), as well as the rest of your mouth, and determine the best course of action.
  3. Get Your Smile the Help It Needs – We’ll often be able to address your situation immediately within our office, meaning that any discomfort you’re feeling will be quickly resolved. In some cases, a follow-up appointment might be necessary.

The Most Common Orthodontic Emergencies

If you’ve encountered a complication with your orthodontic treatment, whether you believe it to be an emergency or not, you should give us a call! It’s worth noting that most orthodontic emergencies can be handled at home, and over the phone, one of our team members can provide you with some expert assistance. However, you should never leave anything to chance. Listed below are some examples of a few common orthodontic emergencies and how you should handle them:

Understanding the Cost of Orthodontic Emergencies

a patient discussing the cost of emergency treatment

When it comes to addressing orthodontic emergencies and getting your treatment back on track, the cost of care should be the least of your worries! That’s why here at Simply Orthodontics, we’re thrilled to accept most major insurance plans and providers and are happy to sit down with you to ensure that you’re getting the most out of your benefits. We’re also happy to offer adorable financing options through LendingPoint.

How to Prevent Orthodontic Emergencies

A young woman with blonde hair using an interdental brush to properly clean between their teeth and underneath their archwire

Naturally, knowing how you can prevent any of the previously mentioned emergencies is best. No one wants to experience the pain that occurs in these instances, which is why we’ve compiled some helpful tips that will work to reduce your risk of injury and keep your orthodontic treatment right on track:

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Toothache  

Is a Toothache an Emergency? As your braces guide your teeth into their new and improved positions, you may feel some discomfort that feels like a toothache. While this is normal, there are some warning signs that a dental emergency is at hand, including: lingering sensitivity, a pimple-like bump on your gums near the tooth, and a sharp pain when biting down.

How You Should Handle Toothaches If you notice one of the above symptoms (or are experiencing any other signs of a dental emergency), then your toothache warrants a call to our Holliston office. Until your appointment, we recommend periodically rinsing your mouth with warm saltwater and placing a cold compress against the outside of your cheek for 10 minutes at a time. If necessary, you can also take an OTC pain reliever as instructed.

Loose Bracket or Wire  

Is a Loose Bracket or Wire an Emergency? Yes, a loose bracket or wire is an orthodontic emergency! There are a few reasons for this. To begin, if your braces aren’t in the proper positions, they can cause your teeth to shift out of position. Secondly, if something is out of place, there is a chance that you can bite down on it, damaging your teeth or cutting the soft tissue in your mouth in the process. Simply put, a loose bracket or wire warrants an appointment, so don’t wait to schedule one.

How You Should Handle a Loose Bracket or Wire If the bracket or wire is just slightly out of place, you can gently apply pressure to guide it back into position before covering any sharp edges with orthodontic wax. However, if you would need to apply force to make that happen, then it’s best to wait until we can fix your braces properly. Note: if any pieces of your braces have completely come loose, then store them in a clean container or envelope and bring them with you to your appointment.

Broken Bracket or Wire  

Is a Broken Bracket or Wire an Emergency? Naturally, your brackets and wires play crucial roles in the teeth-straightening process. If one of them breaks, then the tension won’t evenly be distributed across your teeth, potentially causing delays in your treatment plan. Furthermore, a bracket or wire that is broken increases your chances of experiencing a soft tissue injury. For all of these reasons, we recommend calling our Holliston orthodontic team right away.

How You Should Handle a Broken Bracket or Wire The best thing to do in this situation is call our team ASAP. Over the phone, we can guide you through what to do next, including covering any sharp edges of your braces with orthodontic wax, and schedule a time for you to come into our office for treatment. Again, if a portion of your braces has broken off entirely, then store them in a clean container or envelope for safekeeping.

Poking Wire

Is a Poking or Protruding Wire an Emergency? A protruding wire can quickly lead to noticeable discomfort. Plus, you are at-risk of sustaining a soft tissue injury, like a cut to the inside of your cheeks. So, don’t wait – call us as soon as the wire is out of position.

How You Should Handle A Poking or Protruding Wire Instead of using something sharp, like tweezers, use a Q-tip, cotton swab, or clean pencil eraser to move the wire back into place. If that doesn’t work, then use some dental wax (or sugar-free gum, if you don’t have it) to cover the wire until you arrive at our office for your appointment.

Mouth Sores

Are Mouth Sores or Irritation an Emergency? Unfortunately, mouth sores are to be expected with orthodontic treatment. For this reason, they aren’t typically an orthodontic emergency. If, however, the wound doesn’t seem to be healing or seems to be getting worse instead of better, call us right away.

How You Should Handle Mouth Sores or Irritation One of the best things to do is create a disinfectant at home with salt and warm water. Swishing with the mixture for 30 seconds at a time will help kill bacteria and keep the area clean. We also recommend placing dental wax over the area of your braces that is irritating the soft tissue in your mouth to prevent further irritation.

Broken Ligature

Is a Broken Ligature an Emergency? Ligatures (commonly referred to as “rubber bands”) are a crucial part of your orthodontic treatment. So, if they fall off, you should put them back on right away. If they break entirely, however, then you should call our Holliston orthodontic office as soon as you can so we can get your teeth-straightening journey back on track.

How You Should Handle a Broken Ligature Although you can try to use a cotton swab to gently push broken pieces of your braces back in place, orthodontic emergencies like these almost always require professional treatment. So, call us ASAP for assistance. In addition to providing you with instructions on what to do, we will schedule a time for you to come in for treatment

Soft Tissue Cuts

Is a Cut Lip, Cheek, or Tongue an Emergency? Typically, the answer is “no.” However, there is an important exception. If the bleeding is uncontrollable and has persisted even after 10 minutes of applying pressure, then you should go to the ER for medical attention.

How You Should Handle a Cut Lip, Cheek, or Tongue First, rinse your mouth thoroughly with clean water and apply pressure to the cut with a damp washcloth. Once the bleeding stops, place dental wax over the braces surrounding the area and apply a cold compress to alleviate swelling. As mentioned above, go to the ER if you’ve been applying pressure for 10 minutes and the bleeding continues.

Something Stuck Between the Teeth

Broken or Lost Retainer

Loose Teeth

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