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Emergency Orthodontist — Lawrence, MA

Fast Orthodontic Care When You Need It Most

Girl needing to visit her Lawrence emergency orthodontist

Fortunately, orthodontic emergencies aren’t very common. However, if you suddenly find yourself in the midst of one, the last thing you want to be doing is searching online for “emergency orthodontist near me.” That’s why we’ve gathered some of the most important information you need to know about the most common orthodontic emergencies below, so you can be as prepared as possible should you or a loved one run into one of these scary situations. For fast orthodontic care when you need it most, don’t hesitate to call Super Braces of Lawrence to schedule a visit with our emergency orthodontist in Lawrence, MA!

Why Choose Super Braces of Lawrence for Emergency Orthodontic Care?

  • #1 Highly Trained Orthodontist with More Than 15 Years of Experience
  • #2 Your Comfort Is Always Our Top Priority
  • #3 We’ll See You As Quickly As Possible for an Emergency Appointment

What to Do in an Orthodontic Emergency

Patient calling her Lawrence emergency orthodontist
  • Step 1: Call us right away. Call us as soon as you can so we can help you assess your situation and schedule an appointment for you accordingly. We’ll also walk you through how to handle your emergency until you can reach us.
  • Step 2: See Dr. Nezakatgoo. We do everything we can to see emergency patients as quickly as possible. When you arrive, your Lawrence emergency orthodontist Dr. Nezakatgoo will see you. She’ll eliminate your pain and evaluate the situation. From there, she will discuss her findings with you and explain what treatments she recommends next.
  • Step 3: Get the fast orthodontic care you need. If possible, Dr. Nezakatgoo will address your orthodontic treatment immediately, but if necessary, we’ll also be able to schedule you for follow-up appointments.

The Most Common Orthodontic Emergencies

Do you have a broken or poking wire? Has your child lost or broken one of their Invisalign aligners? Is there something stuck between your braces and you just can’t seem to dislodge it? Orthodontic emergencies come in all shapes and sizes, so don’t hesitate to call us if something seems wrong or feels painful. Below, you’ll find important information about the most common orthodontic emergencies we treat.

Understanding the Cost of Orthodontic Emergencies 

Father paying for orthodontic emergency in Lawrence

Orthodontic emergencies can vary widely from one patient to another. That’s why there is no set cost for emergency orthodontic treatment. Some emergencies can be quite quick, easy, and inexpensive to treat, while others may need to have replacement parts ordered and installed, which would cost more time and money. Should your emergency involve a dental emergency such as a broken or infected tooth, we’ll likely refer you back to your general dentist to have your oral health restored.

How to Prevent Orthodontic Emergencies

Man with braces flossing to prevent orthodontic emergencies in Lawrence

While our experienced team is ready and waiting to jump into action should you need emergency orthodontic care, it’s aways better to avoid them in the first place. While your risk of encountering an orthodontic emergency can never be eliminated entirely, there are a few things you can do to dramatically lower your risk of encountering one. Healthy habits like thorough dental hygiene and committing to sticking to your treatment plan can go a tremendously long way to prevent an orthodontic emergency!

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Toothaches

Is a toothache an emergency? When first receiving your braces or having your wire tightened, you will likely experience some discomfort. Fortunately, this will dissipate within a few days. However, a toothache with braces can sometimes indicate a serious oral health issue that requires immediate attention, such as a dental abscess, tooth infection, or damaged orthodontics. Call us immediately if:

  • Your toothache or dental soreness is severe or lasts longer than a day
  • Your discomfort doesn’t seem to be getting better, or it’s getting worse
  • There’s a small bump on the gums near the painful tooth
  • One tooth looks darker than the others
  • You experience signs of infection, such as swelling in the mouth or fever

How you should handle toothaches: Unfortunately, there are countless things that can cause a toothache with braces. First, make sure your pain isn’t being caused by a piece of food stuck in your braces or gums by brushing, flossing, and rinsing your mouth out with water. If discomfort persists, give us a call. Until you can see us, you can manage your symptoms by applying an ice pack to the outside of your mouth or taking over-the-counter pain relievers as directed on the label.

Loose Bracket

Is a loose bracket or wire an emergency? A loos bracket or wire is nothing to panic about, but you should contact our office as quickly as you can. Loose orthodontics mean that they’re not working as intended, so your treatment may get off track without prompt care. Additionally, the longer a loose bracket or wire is ignored, the more likely the issue is to get worse!

How you should handle a loose bracket or wire: If one of your archwires is starting to become loose (as in you can easily move it with your tongue), try to carefully pull it back into place using tweezers. If this doesn’t help, use a pair of fingernail clippers to bend the ends of the wire so that it stays still.

If one of your brackets has fallen off completely, recover it and keep it in a secure container until your appointment. If it’s still attached, gently slide it back along the wire into its original position with cotton and hold it in place with orthodontic wax.

In both cases, avoid sticky or hard foods, as they can easily make the situation worse. Rinse with salt water if you’ve suffered from any kind of cut or sore as a result of the loose bracket or wire.

Broken Wire

Is a broken bracket or wire an emergency? If your archwire or a bracket has broken, snapped, or fallen off completely, you should call us immediately. A broken bracket or wire could cause painful cuts in your mouth, or even a serious injury in an accident. Additionally, without the tension of the bracket or wire, your treatment won’t progress, and could eventually be thrown off track.

How you should handle a broken bracket or wire: A bracket or wire that has fallen out of place entirely should be washed off and stored in a secure container, such as an envelope, plastic baggie, or clean container, and brough to your appointment. If the appliance is still anchored in place but is broken, cover the area with orthodontic wax. This will protect your soft tissues from abrasion and help hold the appliance together until you can reach us.

Protruding/Poking Wire

Is a poking or protruding wire an emergency? When first wearing your braces or right after having them adjusted, you may feel the end of the archwire poking your cheek tissue. In most cases, this irritation will be minor and fade in a few days as your mouth adjusts to the appliance. However, a poking wire is considered an orthodontic emergency if it is causing significant discomfort or appears suddenly. Call us right away so we can evaluate your braces as soon as possible and adjust them for your comfort.

How you should handle a poking or protruding wire: Over the phone, we’ll instruct you on how to manage your poking wire until we can see you. In some cases, we may recommend using a cotton swab, Q-tip, or the eraser end of a pencil to push the wire into a position where it won’t bother you. Alternatively, it may be a better choice to put a dab of orthodontic wax or sugarless gum on the protruding wire to keep it from irritating the tissue. If your mouth has sustained a scratch or sore, you should rinse carefully with salt water to ease inflammation and clean the area.

Mouth Sores or Irritation

Are mouth sores or irritation an emergency? The soft tissues of the gums, lips, and cheeks will likely feel a bit irritated in the days right after braces have been put on. This is completely normal, and the mouth should adjust in less than a week.

However, if the pain in your mouth does not fade in a few days, if it seems to be getting worse, or it is severe, don’t hesitate to contact us right away. Your braces may need to be adjusted, or you may have a different oral health issue such as a tissue infection or injury. When you give us a call, we’ll help you assess the urgency of your situation and direct you on the best next steps over the phone.

How you should handle mouth sores or irritation: As you wait for your mouth to adjust to your new braces, try rinsing with warm salt water or placing dental wax over particularly tender areas to provide immediate relief. In some cases, you may want to use a store-bought topical oral anesthetic or numbing gel from your local pharmacy. If the pain is intense, you can apply an ice pack to the outside of the mouth for 10-minute intervals and take an over-the-counter pain reliever as instructed on the directions.

Broken Ligature

Is a broken ligature an emergency?  Ligatures, which are the small rubber bands around each bracket, hold the archwire in place. If one falls off, there’s no reason to panic. We’ll address it during your next progress check-in appointment. However, if several ligatures break or fall off, there may be an underlying issue that needs to be addressed right away to keep your treatment on track.

How you should handle a broken ligature:   If one ligature has fallen off and it isn’t broken, you may be able to put it back into place on the designated bracket with tweezers. If you can’t, or if the ligature has snapped, we’ll need to replace it during your next checkup. Should several ligatures pop off or break, do not attempt to replace them unless we instruct you to do so over the phone. You should pay close attention to your brushing habits and chewing tendencies to see if you may be accidentally causing the ligatures to break or fall off.

Cut Lips, Cheeks, or Tongue

Is a cut lip, cheek, or tongue an emergency? Injuries in the mouth tend to bleed a lot, which makes them seem quite alarming at first. Fortunately, they do not often require emergency attention. If the cut was caused by an injury or accident that may have damaged the braces or teeth, we will want to see you for an appointment right away. If you cannot control the bleeding within 10 minutes, you should go directly to the nearest emergency room. However, in the majority of cases, you should be able to manage a cut on your lips, cheeks, or tongue at home with the proper care.

How you should handle a cut lip, cheek, or tongue: First, rinse your mouth out with plain water or salt water to clean the injured tissues. Then, apply pressure to the area with a piece of gauze or wet washcloth until the bleeding stops. Cover the nearby parts of your braces with orthodontic wax to keep them from irritating the injury, an avoid touching the area.

Something Stuck Between the Teeth

Is having something stuck between the teeth an emergency? Getting food stuck between your teeth during your time with braces is normal. However, you should still take steps to dislodge the debris right away since it can lead to serious discomfort and oral health issues.

How you should handle something stuck between your teeth: In some cases, gently rinsing with warm water is all that’s needed to dislodge the debris. If that doesn’t work, try threading floss between your braces before sliding it up and down the side of each tooth. If neither of these methods work, get in touch with our team so we can help. Note: do NOT use sharp objects, like a toothpick, in an attempt to remove something stuck between your teeth.

Broken or Lost Retainer

Is a broken or lost aligner or retainer an emergency? Although a broken/lost retainer or aligner isn’t typically considered an orthodontic emergency, it can result in treatment delays or orthodontic relapse. Therefore, it’s important not to put off calling us. Don’t worry – we understand that mistakes happen; we’re just here to help you get back on track.

How you should handle a broken or lost aligner or retainer: Similar to a broken aligner, an ill-fitting retainer can cause your teeth to move into the wrong positions. That’s why it’s important to touch base with our team regarding the next best steps – we want to ensure your teeth stay nice and straight!

For lost aligners, the best thing to do is retrace your steps, paying special attention to the small crevices they could’ve fallen into. Once you confirm that they are missing, get in touch with us so we can help you determine what to do next (like wear your previous tray until your replacement arrives).

Loose Teeth

Are loose teeth an emergency? Braces are designed to gently and gradually move your teeth. Although this is done intentionally to ensure they don’t come loose, you may feel like they don’t seem as secure. This is normal. What isn’t normal, however, is wiggling teeth, especially in tandem with symptoms of gum disease. If this is the case for you, schedule a same-day appointment right away!

How you should handle loose teeth: It’s of the utmost importance that you don’t touch your loose tooth or teeth with your fingers or tongue. Not chewing on that side of your mouth is also a good idea to prevent further damage. Instead, do your best to keep your mouth clean and visit our orthodontist as soon as possible.