At Griffin & Errera Orthodontics, we make sure our patients are supported in every way we can provide. Whether it be during an emergency at home or during a regular appointment, Dr. Griffin and Dr. Errera can help you out. Ensuring our patients are prepared in the rare care of an issue, we are here for your orthodontic emergencies.
Be a Smile Defender!
Wearing Mouthguards
If you are a braces wearer and play sports, an important measure you can take to prevent emergencies is wearing a mouthguard. This simple step gives your teeth and jaw added protection from potential knocking or other contact sports injuries. Some mouthguards are made specifically for those who wear braces so they can still sit comfortably in your mouth!
Eating Decisions
Invisalign, A Removable Appliance
Invisalign wearers luckily do not have to worry about food restrictions as their appliance is removable. Although, you must take out your trays before you eat and brush them with your teeth before placing them back in. This is to avoid any food getting stuck in small crevices of your teeth, which could then quickly lead to bacteria growth while your trays are in for hours at a time.
Traditional Bracket Braces, A Fixed Appliance
However, when wearing fixed LightForce, metal, or clear braces, you should exercise caution with hard, sticky, or crunchy foods that could potentially damage your appliance. These foods can lead to the unnecessary discomfort that follows with broken wires or loosened brackets.
Oral Health
Practicing everyday oral health is a simple but important way to keep your teeth clean and protected from disease. Brushing and flossing your teeth each morning and night, getting the small crevices that may be hiding food, is essential to prevent dental issues. Other methods of keeping up with your hygiene include using mouthwash, cleaning your tongue, and drinking water every day.
Prioritizing Your Regular Visits
Just like with any other doctor’s appointment, regularly attending your orthodontic checkups allows our team to spot any potential problems early on. It allows us the opportunity to update you on your treatment progress, make sure you are on the right track, and answer any questions you have. Dr. Griffin and Dr. Errera may even be able to see something out of your periphery and prevent a potentially bigger problem from occurring later.
A Little Discomfort Is Nothing To Be Afraid Of
When you first get your braces put on or start your set of Invisalign trays, your teeth experience some discomfort, but this is normal as they are moving from their position to straighten out. A small bit of discomfort is a small price to pay for a straight smile at the end of treatment!
How To Tackle Emergencies
Protruding Wire
What Is It?
A dislocated wire that sticks out too far, this issue can potentially cause irritation to the mouth, gums, and lips. If you play around with it too much without success, you could cut your tongue.
How To Handle It
Luckily, there are a few things you can do. Your first option is to use a pencil eraser or Q-tip to put the protruding wire back into place flat against your tooth. By pushing it back, it should take care of itself and not worry you until your next appointment with Dr. Griffin or Dr. Errera.
If you are unsuccessful, you can try covering the pointed edge with a small amount of non-medicinal relief wax. Don’t worry about accidentally swallowing the wax, as it is harmless when ingested.
Loose Brackets
What Is It?
The brackets on braces can sometimes loosen over time as the adhesive wears down. This can be due to eating foods too rigorous for your braces material or just normal wear and tear. By leaving it be, you may accidentally cut your gums or tongue or potentially disrupt the teeth alignment process.
How To Handle It
To temporarily fix a loose bracket, you can carefully use sterile tweezers to slide the bracket back between two teeth, rotate it to the correct position, and then place it back in the center of the tooth. Be sure to let our team know as soon as possible so we can determine whether or not an emergency visit is necessary.
Mouth Sores
What Is It?
These lesions can pop up on the lips, tongue, gums, the roof of your mouth, and elsewhere. Similar to canker sores, they are sensitive to the touch and are luckily more inconvenient than an alarming issue.
How To Handle It
There are a couple of things you can do to remedy mouth sores. First, we recommend you rinse your mouth out with warm salt water, which helps to get rid of bad bacteria living in the mouth. Another option is to use an over-the-counter anesthetic like Orabase directly on the mouth sore with a cotton swab to aid pain. They typically disappear after a week without further interference.
Swallowing A Piece Of Your Appliance
What Is It?
Situations in which you could swallow a piece of your appliance include having broken wires, broken brackets, or other broken pieces. This is very rare, but still something we want to prepare our patients for in the case of an emergency.
How To Handle It
If you have difficulty breathing or have a continuous cough, the piece may have fallen out of place. If you can see it and are able to very carefully remove it, then do so. If removing it may cause harm, do not attempt and contact Dr. Griffin and Dr. Errera immediately. We will be able to help you out!
Your Smile Is Our Top Priority
Your comfort throughout treatment matters to us, and we will always do what we can to make things a smooth experience. Remember, Griffin & Errera Orthodontics is just a phone call away, prepared to help you at our Middleburg, Warrenton, or Culpeper offices. Schedule your free consultation today at 540-347-1888.