Your braces are delicately attached to your teeth and are very fragile. Special care must be exercised while eating and while playing so as not to loosen a bracket or bend a wire. Below is a list of things that sometimes occur, as well as some remedies and instructions in case they do happen. If your teeth become sore after a visit, we generally recommend that you take Tylenol, Advil or Motrin. This, or course, is the protocol only if there are no known allergies to these medications. Rinsing with a cup of warm water and a ½ teaspoon of salt can be soothing. If food becomes stuck between your teeth, use dental floss or a proxy brush to dislodge the food. If a wire causes irritation, push the wire away from the area using the eraser end of a pencil or a cotton swab. If the wire cannot be tucked away, cover the end of the wire with a small piece of wax, a cotton ball, or a piece of sugarless gum, until you can see us for an appointment. If the main wire has come out of the brace or tube on a back molar tooth, attempt to reinsert the wire with a pair of needle nose pliers or tweezers. If the wire is not sticking you, place a piece of wax over the area. If the wire is sticking you and wax does not help, the wire can be cut with a small wire cutter or nail clipper close to the back of the last brace. This is a last resort if professional help is unavailable. If you develop a sore spot, due to your braces irritating your cheek, place a small ball of wax over the offending bracket. This wax will cushion the irritated area as it heals. Also, to help the irritation heal, rinse with warm salt water. If a brace comes loose from a tooth, it usually remains connected to the main wire and is not cause for an emergency visit. Tweezers can be used to reposition the brace if it flips around the wire and becomes a source of irritation. Call our office at your earliest convenience. It may be necessary to schedule a separate visit to repair the loose brace(s), since repairs of this nature usually take additional time. If an expander comes loose, contact our office and we will schedule and emergency visit for you. If you experience bleeding when brushing or flossing, that usually means there is a local area of infection. Continue to keep the area clean by brushing, flossing and rinsing with Listerine. If a particular area is painful or you notice a bump of any sort, you should bring this to the attention of Dr. Burgess as soon as possible. If you notice some small spaces developing between your teeth while you have braces on, don't panic! This is usually normal and expected as teeth move into different positions, particularly in the early stages of treatment. They will close eventually. If a part of your braces or your retainer breaks, save the piece and call to set up a repair visit. If a separator comes out while eating or brushing do not be concerned. However, if a separator was intentionally removed, this can cause a problem at the next orthodontic appointment. There may not be enough open space to fit the band. Please contact our office for an appointment to have a new separator placed. If you experience trauma to the mouth, contact our office immediately. If the office is closed you can still reach us through our answering service. Brushing Tip: You will notice that it is much harder to keep your teeth clean with braces. Food compacts in the brackets and between your teeth and can only be removed by brushing and flossing. If plaque remains on the teeth for any length of time it will leave a permanent white scar on the surface of your teeth. Brushing after meals should become a part of your daily schedule. The following list of foods should be avoided during your orthodontic treatment: Sticky Foods (sugarless or otherwise) Caramels Sugar Daddies Sugar Babies Lolli-pops Starburst Toffee Bagels Apples (unless cut up) Hard Foods Caramel Apples Tootsie Rolls Jolly Ranchers Jaw Breakers Licorice Nuts Pizza Crust Doritos Carrots (uncooked, unless cut up) Pretzels Elastics Attached to your braces, elastics (rubber bands) exert the proper force that creates the right amount of pressure to move teeth. In order for this force to remain constant, elastics must be worn all the time and changed once a day. Any time missed in wearing your elastics will only make your treatment take longer, so remember these things: You are responsible for placing the elastics on your braces between appointments. Make sure to wear them as instructed. Remove them only when brushing your teeth, gums and braces after meals. Then put your elastics back on immediately. Always carry a few elastics with you so if one breaks you can replace it right away. If your supply is low, call the office and we will mail you an additional supply. If you forget to insert your elastics one day, don't double up the next day- just follow your regular instructions. Elastics become worn out. When they lose their elasticity, they don't provide the proper pressure on your teeth and jaws. It is very important to change them after every meal, even when they are not broken. If your elastics break frequently, a wire or band loosens, or a hook breaks off call our office immediately. Removable Appliances: The removable appliance is carefully designed to move or to hold your teeth. It is important that it is worn according to instructions and brought to each appointment. Wear your appliance at all times, even while you are asleep. It may be removed while eating, swimming or playing vigorous sports activities. In two or three days your speech will return to normal with the appliance in place. Avoid flipping your appliance with your tongue. This can cause damage to your teeth or breakage of your appliance. Your new appliance may make your teeth sore for a day or two, especially after an adjustment. If you have a sore spot on your gums call our office so that we can adjust the appliance. Clean your appliance by brushing it daily with toothpaste. Denture cleaner (Efferdent or Polident) can be used for a more thorough cleaning. If you are wearing a bonded wire retainer behind your front teeth, be extra careful to clean the wire and the area around it. Flossing should be done every day. Never wrap your appliance in a paper napkin or tissue and set it down on the table. You or someone else may throw it away. Don't put it in your pocket when playing or you may break or lose it. Whenever it is not in your mouth it should be in its plastic case. Keep your appliance away from dogs and cats, as they love to chew on them. Avoid storing them near any source of heat. Do not boil your retainer to sterilize it. An additional charge will be incurred for lost or broken appliances.