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Comfort Care

It is normal to experience some discomfort at the start of the treatment and after each adjustment appointment. Non-prescription pain remedies and a soft diet for a few days are recommended. After a few days, the discomfort will ease making regular activities and diet more manageable.

Concerns related to orthodontic appliances
Whenever there has been some obvious damage to an appliance (loose bands, loose brackets, loose or broken wires causing irritation), please call our office as soon as possible so that we can evaluate the urgency of the problem and schedule an appointment with you accordingly. This is very important as loose bands can result in damage to the teeth and a broken wire can cause teeth to move in undesirable directions. We set aside designated openings in our schedule to accommodate these repairs. We encourage patients not to walk in without a scheduled appointment.

Comfort Tips
The following are helpful hints to remedy some of the problems you may encounter until you can be seen in our office:

  • If a tie-wire is irritating your mouth, cover it with wax or tuck it under the archwire using a blunt object like a pencil eraser or a Q- tip.
  • A loose band or bracket can generally be left in place until you are seen in our office. Call the office as soon as you notice a loose band or bracket so that we can evaluate whether or not to schedule an extra appointment to re-attach the loose brace or leave it until the regularly scheduled appointment.
  • A broken archwire, or one that is irritating the gum or cheek tissue, can usually be covered with orthodontic wax until the next regularly scheduled appointment.
  • A bent headgear, lip bumper, or removable appliance that is not fitting well should not be worn until it can be properly adjusted in our office. Call the office as soon as possible to schedule an appointment to have the appliance adjusted.

Direct injuries to the mouth and teeth
Following a direct injury to your mouth or teeth, whether undergoing orthodontic care or not, you should be seen by your family dentist as soon as possible. Usually an x-ray of the involved tooth or teeth is needed to evaluate the extent of the injury.

Your family dentist
Your family dentist will receive regular reports from our office. We will send a treatment plan at the start, a report in the middle of the treatment and a summary at the conclusion. Maintaining healthy teeth and gums is critical to successful orthodontic treatment. Therefore, it is important for patients to see their family dentist for routine dental cleanings and checkups at least every 6 months while they are in treatment.