What are considered orthodontic emergencies?
True orthodontic emergencies include but are not limited to the following:
- Major trauma or injury to the teeth, face, or mouth
- Infection, swelling, and/or bleeding of the gums, mouth, or face
- Severe unmanageable pain in the mouth
- An appliance that has come off, making it unable for you to eat
Minor orthodontic emergencies include:
- Loose/broken brackets, bands, or wires
- Misplaced or poking archwire, bracket, or tie
- General tooth pain or loosening
- Broken retainer
- Swallowing braces or appliances
If you have any of these issues, you may be interested to know what to do and when to reach out to your emergency orthodontist near me. However, first let’s hear from some of the experts of orthodontic medicine about orthodontic emergencies.
An orthodontic emergency might be described as a problem arising from an orthodontic appliance, where an unscheduled appointment is required to resolve the issue(Caprioglio A et al.,2020).
When a patient has such an issue, a timely additional appointment may need to be arranged with a specialist. Patients who present with an orthodontic emergency may be experiencing pain or discomfort (Caprioglio A et al.,2020).
It can also be inconvenient for the patient and parents in making and attending an additional, unexpected appointment due to pre-existing school or work commitments.(Caprioglio A et al.,2020).
What to Do During Orthodontic Emergencies?
Although one may not want to have to think about an orthodontist emergency, or who’s the best emergency orthodontist, the fact is orthodontic emergenciescan happen at any time and having a plan in place in case ofemergency orthodonticsis simple planning that any individual should do.
But what types of things qualify as an orthodontic emergency? When should you visit an orthodontic office and what types of symptoms should you look for before you go to your orthodontic office for emergency orthodontic work? Let’s take a look at some of the many types of orthodontic emergencies an individual might face and some of the signs and symptoms that tell you you should go visit your orthodontist immediately.
Major trauma or injury to the teeth, face, or mouth
There are many causes of trauma or injury to the teeth, face, or mouth and while the causes are as endless as the ways that a person may hit their face, or have something hit their face, the fact of the matter is that anytime there is significant trauma or injury to the front of your face, teeth, or mouth it is always in one’s best interest to set up an appointment with an emergency orthodontic office. This is often part of a follow up you need to do after you have gotten treatment from your local hospital.
However, some issues may not necessitate going to a hospital first but may instead require you to go to an orthodontic office first, especially if the injury or damage is more directly related to the mouth or to the teeth than any other part of the body. The fact of the matter is if you have to wonder if you should visit an orthodontic office, you definitely should. Most people downplay symptoms and so if you have any question, know that it’s probablya good idea to be on your way.
Infection, swelling and/or bleeding of the gums, mouth, or face
Another obvious sign that an individual may need to make an emergency orthodontic visit is bleeding of the gums, mouth, or face. It need not only be bleeding though, as swelling can also be a sign of infection. However, unlike a traumatic incident, this one can sometimes creep up on an individual and cause one to delay seeking orthodontic treatment until it is already in an advanced state.
This makes it far more dangerous as dental infections are a serious matter and if it has progressed to the point where there is already swelling and bleeding for the mouth or gums, then it is well past time to go have an emergency meeting with your orthodontic or dental officeemergency orthodontist near me.
In fact, generally speaking, one should schedule an appointment at the earliest signs of discomfort as dental diseases and infections are far easier to treat in their early stages before they become more advanced.
Severe unmanageable pain in the mouth
While it may seem obvious that if you’re having severe unimaginable pain emanating from your mouth, one should visit an orthodontic office, the fact of the matter is quite simple, if you have extreme pain go to your dental or orthodontic office! It’s not normal!
Do not assume that if you take aspirin or another pain reliever it will make your teeth better. If you have extreme pain, you have no idea what may be causing it. It could be caused by practically anything and only an expert orthodontic office will be able to determine the root cause and make a treatment plan that will best suit you and your needs so you do not have to live in this pain anymore. In fact, one should begin to visit the orthodontic office before the pain even gets to that level as treatment is usually cheaper and easier at the early stages.
An appliance that has come off, making it unable for you to eat
If you have an orthodontic appliance in your mouth that has come off, then that is another case where while it may not be immediately uncomfortable for you, you certainly should have an emergency meeting with your orthodontic office to reinstall it properly.
There are two reasons for this – one is that it may hinder you from being able to eat, chew, or swallow properly, or there might be parts which could cause damage or hinder your progress on your orthodontic treatment.
Loose/Broken Brackets, Bands, or Wires
If an orthodontic appliance has come off or come loose it can mean broken brackets, bands, or wires. Obviously these can become serious problems, because they might end up poking the teeth or gums, slowing down your orthodontic treatment, and can causing severe damage to the inside of your mouth and the soft fleshy tissues the appliances are in.
It is far better to meet with your orthodontic office as soon as possible and have it dealt with quickly by a professional than it is to simply bear it and wait and hope that it is not actually making your pain worse.
Misplaced or Poking Archwire, Bracket, Broken Retaineror Tie
This is actually quite common and is a very frequent cause of emergency orthodontic appointments. Simply put, sometimes an archwire can break or poke. Sometimes the medical equipment may not be ultra-smooth or there may be a small tie wire that is poking the inside your mouth. As mentioned before, there is no reason for you to live in any amount of orthodontic or oral discomfort and so talking with your office and setting up an emergency appointment to have that fixed will go a long way to making your treatment as comfortable as it can be.
General Tooth Pain or Loosening
If there is general discomfort in your teeth, especially if it appears to be sudden, that is absolutely a reason to meet with your orthodontic office immediately. If you notice that there is also looseness in a tooth as well, then it is past time for you to meet with your orthodontic office. The fact is your teeth should never be extremely loose. With any luck, and some decent genetics, you will be able to end your life with the same set that you’ve had since you were a child.
If you notice that your teeth are getting loose then there may be a serious orthodontic issue and when that is combined with pain, the possible reasons, while numerous, are all serious and need to be addressed by an orthodontic professional.
Swallowing Braces or Appliances
Needless to say, if you have swallowed a part of your orthodontic appliance such as your braces, retainer, brackets, or wires you absolutely should be visiting your orthodontic office immediately! Braces and their wires can cause severe abdominal problems if left to work their way out of the system on their own, in addition to the issue that they broke, and how they broke, in the first place.
If you have any problem with your mouth, it’s best just to leave it to a professional and let them recommend a treatment or determine that there is nothing to worry about. It is far better to be safe than sorry as orthodontic problems do not go away on their own and only by talking with a skilled certified emergency orthodontist near me will you be able to make an informed choice about your medical oral health care needs.
If you need an orthodontist, we’d be glad to talk to you. Give us a call or book an appointment here and schedule your free initial consultation.
Reference:
Caprioglio, A., Pizzetti, G. B., Zecca, P. A., Fastuca, R., Maino, G., & Nanda, R. (2020).Management of orthodontic emergencies during 2019-NCOV.Progress in orthodontics, 21(1), 10.https://doi.org/10.1186/s40510-020-00310-y
