SBK Orthodontics stands for high-quality care and a commitment to personalized care. If you undergo an orthodontic emergency, you can trust that our team and trio of board-certified specialists can help you solve it. Dr. Stieper, Dr. Brust, and Dr. Khatib will gladly coordinate with you to address your concerns and fix any problems.
SOME OF THE MOST COMMON ORTHODONTIC EMERGENCIES DEXTER
Many patients undergo similar problems because they share the same concerns. From our experience, patients wearing traditional metal braces and Invisalign® clear aligner trays may need help with some recurring situations. What’s even more important: many patients don’t know how to identify a true orthodontic emergency or know how to remedy the situation. Check out below a couple of the most common orthodontic emergencies Dexter.
Loose Brackets
Loose brackets are usually the result of wanting to eat something your orthodontist said you shouldn’t. Wearing conventional metal braces means putting some of your favorite foods on hold until you finish treatment. We’re very emphatic about this because, even though the bonding agents we use for your brackets are really strong, physics favors those little pieces of hard foods to easily peel away the brackets and, inevitably, delay your treatment. Get in touch with our team to fix this situation.
Poking Wires
Another common cause for concern is having a loose wire. Archwires that slip out of their position end up poking the inside of a patient’s mouth, resulting in discomfort, sores, and pain. Fortunately, just as with most cases of an orthodontic emergency, you can easily solve the situation at home, but you should still get in touch with an orthodontist to get a permanent solution.
Lost Clear Aligner Trays
Moving away from situations limited to those who wear traditional metal braces, you should also know that people with Invisalign can suffer from emergencies. In their case, the most common one is when a patient goes for a meal or drink and misplaces or loses their aligner trays. Please remember to carry your aligners’ case. Also, because it’s critical to wear your aligners frequently and throughout most of your day, you’ll need help to get your trays replaced and avoid any problems or treatment delays.
Pain and Discomfort
This is a tough one because every patient can expect a bit of pain as their teeth move around. Any patient should expect a minor level of pain when they get their braces installed for the first time. Likewise, patients who come to our office for an adjustment, or those who switch to a new set of clear aligners, should all expect some level of discomfort. You can easily solve that discomfort, but you’ll want to get in touch with qualified emergency services if you notice your pain increases or holds after the third day. Pain is usually a warning for a more severe problem that could require emergency help to avoid potentially life-threatening problems.
SOLVING YOUR ORTHODONTIC EMERGENCIES
You’ll definitely want to get in touch with our office to get the professional help you require. However, you might also want to sit back and read more about the many DIY and temporary solutions available to all patients who face orthodontic emergencies. Check out the link below to learn more about other orthodontic emergencies and how to fix them at home.
GET HELP FROM YOUR DEXTER ORTHODONTIST
Go ahead and set up an appointment. You can give us a call at (734) 441-9257 to set up an appointment at our Dexter orthodontic office. Please feel free to call whenever you need to, as it is preferable for us to help you with minor problems than never hearing from you until you face a life-threatening problem.
FAQ
What qualifies as an orthodontic emergency?
When it comes to dealing with an orthodontic emergency in Dexter, our team offers help in any situation where you might have accidentally damaged your orthodontic appliance or put at risk your treatment efficiency. Please keep in mind that an orthodontic emergency is not a life-threatening situation, and as much as we want to help you keep your treatment on track, we won’t be able to help when you’re dealing with emergencies that require help in an emergency room.
How do you prevent orthodontic problems?
Definitely, the best thing to do is to prevent these problems, which you can achieve with a few adjustments to your daily habits. First of all, you should be careful about your dietary habits because the most common orthodontic emergencies are related to what you eat and how those foods can damage your orthodontic appliances. Another thing you should keep in mind is the importance of good oral hygiene, as this will clear any food debris that might promote tooth decay and put a dent in your treatment.
What do most orthodontic problems arise from?
When dealing with orthodontic emergencies in Dexter, most of the cases we treat are related to foods or snacks that break off into smaller pieces and can cause damage to people’s orthodontic appliances. However, when talking about orthodontic problems in general, as in malocclusion, we have to recognize that genetic factors play a more prominent role instead of environmental causes.
How do dentists deal with emergencies?
Dentists deal with emergencies in a different way than orthodontists would, but this is only because dental emergencies can be life-threatening. Orthodontic emergencies might create an inconvenience or some discomfort but will never result in symptoms or complications that could be potentially fatal. As such, dentists will work in emergency settings and provide care with qualified teams to stabilize a patient.
In an emergency, can a dentist be helpful?
Absolutely yes; however, when dealing with potentially fatal situations, dental care is not the main concern for many individuals. This is why it’s essential you learn to identify the causes of your ongoing problem and communicate them to the team of professionals who are delivering the care you need. In the case of our orthodontic emergency services in Dexter, you can count on our team to help you fix your appliance, prevent any additional damage, and put your treatment back on track, but you will have to go to an ER if you experience symptoms such as swelling, throbbing pain, or uncontrollable bleeding from the mouth.
