Fortunately, it’s very rare to have a true orthodontic emergency! However, there may come a time where something is poking or rubbing on your cheeks or lips. If you’re in need of a little TLC, the tips below will help get you comfortable until your next appointment.
TLC Tool Kit
These items may come in handy if you ever have an issue with your braces. You might be surprised to see that you already have many of them at home!
- Wax – An essential item to smooth rough or poking areas.
- Gishy Goo™ – Similar to wax, but more durable.
- Trimmers and cutters to clip poking wires.
- Tweezers to grab wires.
- Items for pushing and reshaping flexible wires.
- Cotton rolls to cover poking areas.
- Brace Relief™ – A soothing anesthetic gel for sore lips and cheeks.
Loose Bracket
If your bracket or band is still attached to the wire, you can leave it in place and call to let us know. In many cases, you can wait until your next appointment to have it repaired. If the loose bracket is bothering you, try using some wax to prevent it from rubbing. You may also be able to carefully remove the bracket without damaging your other braces.
Poking Wire Tie
Using a pencil eraser or end of your toothbrush, bend the wire so it no longer pokes. If that doesn’t resolve the issue, place wax over the area so it doesn’t rub on your cheek or lip.
Shifted Wire
Occasionally, flexible archwires will shift to one side and poke out the back bracket. Grabbing the wire with a small pliers or tweezers, you can slide the wire back into position.
Trimming a Long Wire
If a back bracket falls off, the remaining wire may rub on your cheek. You can fix this by using a small clipper or trimmer to cut the wire close to the adjacent bracket.
Wire Out
Occasionally, an archwire can pop out of the last bracket and poke the cheek. Using a tweezers or small pliers, slip the wire underneath the hook on the bracket. You can place wax over the area to help secure the wire.