Emergency Orthodontist in Apex, NC

Emergency Care

True orthodontic emergencies are rare, but when they occur, we are here for you. As a general rule, you should contact (919-363-2221) our office when you experience severe pain or have a painful appliance problem you can’t take care of yourself. We’ll be able to schedule an appointment to resolve the problem.

Temporary Solutions

You might be surprised to learn that you may be able to solve many problems yourself temporarily until you can get to our office. If there is a loose piece that you can remove, put it in a plastic bag or envelope and bring it with you to your next appointment. If your braces are poking you, put soft wax on the piece that’s sticking out. If the wire has shifted to one side and wax is unable to relieve the temporary discomfort, then either call our office (919-363-2221) to schedule a repair or carefully cut the long end with any clean cutting plier/scissor that you can safely use.

After alleviating your discomfort, it is very important that you still call our office as soon as possible to schedule a time to repair the problem. If you allow your appliance to remain damaged for an extended period of time may result in disruptions to your treatment plan and lengthening your time in treatment.

Common Problems & How to fix them

General Soreness

When you get your braces on, you may feel general soreness in your mouth, and teeth may be tender to biting pressures for 2-4 days on average. Stick to a soft diet until your teeth do not hurt to chewing. Irritated gums/lips/cheeks can be relieved by rinsing your mouth with a warm salt-water mouthwash. Dissolve one teaspoonful of salt in eight ounces of warm water, and rinse your mouth vigorously. Placing Orabase on the affected area may also help relieve discomfort; Orabase can be found in a pharmacy. Further, you can use wax on the brace that may be temporarily irritating a lip or cheek. If the temporary tenderness is severe enough, you can take Acetaminophen (Tylenol) or Aspirin, Ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil) and Naproxen Sodium (Alleve). The lips, cheeks, and tongue may become irritated for 1-2 weeks as you become accustomed to the surface of the braces.

Headgear

Sometimes discomfort is caused by not wearing the headgear as instructed by your Dr. Altherr. Please refer to the instructions provided by Dr. A. If the facebow (metal piece) is bent, please call our office (919-363-2221) for assistance. The headgear should hurt less the more it’s worn, so be sure you get in the prescribed amount of time.

Loose Appliance

If any of your orthodontic appliances like a retainer (above) is poking you, then try and place wax on the offending part for temporary relief or until you can be seen by Dr. Altherr. Please call our office at 919-363-2221.

Loose Bracket

If your bracket or band is still attached to the wire, you should leave it in place and put wax on it if needed for comfort. If the bracket or band can be removed easily, then place it in an envelope and save it. Finally, please contact our office (call/text/email) at your earliest, especially if there is quite a bit of time until your next appointment.

Loose Wire

Using a pair of tweezers or needle-nosed pliers, try to put your wire back into place. If you cannot put the wire into a comfortable position, and covering the end with wax doesn’t help, then as a last temporary resort, use a small fingernail clipper to clip the wire behind the last tooth to which it is securely fastened. If the end of the wire is still sharp place wax on it. Finally, call (919-363-2221) our office at your earliest to schedule a repair appointment.

Poking Wire

Using a pencil eraser, push the poking wire down or place wax (in your kit) on it so that it is no longer poking. If this does not relieve your discomforrt, then please call our office (919-363-2221).