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77 W Main St #209
Hopkinton, MA 01748 (508) 435-1200
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Emergency Orthodontist – Hopkinton, MA

Fast, Effective Relief for Braces-Related Injuries

Whether you choose traditional braces or a more discreet teeth-straightening solution like Invisalign, orthodontic treatment inherently comes with some discomfort. After all, your teeth are being shifted into a new position! However, the pain from a braces-related injury is something else entirely and can sometimes cause notable discomfort. To get the immediate relief you deserve, take a few minutes to read over some of the most common orthodontic emergencies. Or feel free to  contact our office  to speak directly with our team!

Teen with braces smiling at orthodontic appointment

Why Choose Simply Orthodontics Hopkinton for Emergency Orthodontic Care?

What to Do During an Orthodontic Emergency

a patient suffering from oral pain

When you experience an orthodontic emergency, it’s important to keep a cool head and quickly take the correct steps toward alleviating the issue. Here’s what you need to keep in mind:

  1. Call Our Office – Every orthodontic emergency is different, but no matter what you’re experiencing, our team can’t help until you let us know what’s going on! Most of the time, we can easily assess the severity of the situation over the phone and provide you with a few initial steps to take, including rinsing your mouth with water or applying orthodontic wax if needed.
  2. Set Up an Appointment – If necessary, we can pencil you in for a same-day appointment; however, many situations can simply wait until your next scheduled orthodontic checkup. If we ask you to come in, you shouldn’t wait to do so.
  3. Get the Urgent Care You Need – Once you’ve arrived, our top priority becomes treating your situation and getting your orthodontic treatment back on track. Whether it’s a broken bracket, protruding wire, or any other type of scenario, we’ll be able to handle it and alleviate any discomfort you might be feeling. In some cases, a follow-up appointment may be necessary, and we’ll be sure to inform you when you’ll need to come back.

The Most Common Orthodontic Emergencies

It’s possible that your situation might not seem very urgent, but it’s still worth contacting us whenever you experience a complication with your orthodontic treatment. Even though a good number of orthodontic emergencies can be handled at home with our assistance over the phone, you should never leave anything up to chance or try to go about things your own way! Here’s a little more about some of the most common orthodontic emergencies that patients encounter, and how they’re generally treated:

Understanding the Cost of Orthodontic Emergencies

a person discussing payment with their orthodontist

Experiencing any type of emergency can be scary—but you should never have to worry about the cost of care when you’re enduring an orthodontic emergency; you already have enough on your plate! That said, no two orthodontic emergencies are exactly the same, meaning that we can’t provide you with a precise cost estimate until you’ve come in for an examination.

Once you’re here, our team will work to quickly analyze the problem and come up with an appropriate treatment plan along with the associated costs. We’re thrilled to accept most major insurance plans and providers, including Medicaid. We’re also pleased to offer affordable financing through CareCredit, a third-party financer that allows qualifying patients to break up their cost of care into affordable monthly installments. Finally, we’re also excited to announce our in-house Preferred Plan, which grants members the peace of mind of never having to worry about the cost of something like a lost retainer or aligner. To learn more about your options , don’t hesitate to contact our team for assistance.

Keys to Preventing Orthodontic Emergencies

a patient with braces brushing their teeth

As with most things in dentistry, prevention is the key to stopping orthodontic emergencies from causing delays to your treatment process. To keep your teeth and your braces in tip-top shape, make sure to implement these smart practices:

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Toothaches

Is a Toothache an Emergency? Throughout your orthodontic treatment, your brackets and wires will be applying pressure on your teeth in order to guide them into their ideal positions. Sometimes, this sensation is similar to a toothache, causing patients to wonder if they have a decayed or otherwise damaged tooth. Our Hopkinton team definitely wants to ensure that’s not the case, which is why we recommend scheduling an appointment if the pain has persisted for more than 24 hours or you have another abnormal dental symptom, like a pimple-like bump on your gums.

How You Should Handle Toothaches If an untreated oral health issue is actually the source of your toothache, then the only way to get the long-lasting relief you deserve is by getting the restorative care you need. Until your appointment, however, there are a few things you can do. To minimize swelling and help prevent an infection from developing, rinse your mouth periodically with warm saltwater. Additionally, don’t chew anything crunchy (such as raw nuts or whole apples) since this can exacerbate your discomfort. Lastly, take an OTC pain reliever as instructed.

Loose Bracket

Is a Loose Bracket an Emergency? The short answer is “yes!” Although this orthodontic emergency doesn’t typically result in a lot of pain, it can negatively affect your treatment in a few ways. First, it can cause your teeth to move out of alignment. Second, it can add weeks or months to the backend of your timeline. That’s why we strongly recommend scheduling an appointment with our Hopkinton orthodontist as soon as you can. This will ensure that we repair your bracket before it results in any lasting consequences.

How You Should Handle a Loose Bracket Naturally, one of the first steps we recommend is calling our team to schedule an appointment. Outside of that, however, you should use some dental wax to cover your loose bracket. This will serve several purposes, including preventing a soft tissue injury, like a cut to your gums or tongue. Lastly, don’t eat anything crunchy, especially near that side of your mouth. This can cause the bracket to loosen further or break entirely.

Broken Wire

Is a Broken Wire an Emergency? Yes, a broken wire is an orthodontic emergency! Similar to a loose bracket, a broken wire can pose numerous problems, including an increased risk for a serious soft tissue injury and the potential for your teeth to move out of alignment. That’s why we recommend scheduling an appointment as soon as you notice that it’s broken.

How You Should Handle a Broken Wire In addition to calling our team and scheduling an appointment, you should place some dental wax over the broken wire to protect the soft tissue in your mouth. If a portion of the wire has broken off entirely, then you should store the piece (or pieces) in a small, clean container for safekeeping as well.

Poking Wire

Is a Poking or Protruding Wire an Emergency? A poking or protruding wire definitely warrants a call to our Hopkinton office. If needed, we can schedule an appointment the very same day to come in and have your braces fixed.

How You Should Handle A Poking or Protruding Wire If the wire is only slightly out of place, the solution may be as simple as placing some dental wax over it to protect your gums, cheeks, and tongue in the meantime. You might also be able to use a Q-tip to gently push it back in place.

Mouth Sores

Are Mouth Sores or Irritation an Emergency? In most cases, mouth sores and irritation don’t require a visit to our Hopkinton office. With that said, you’re more than welcome to give us a call if it seems to be the result of a bracket or wire that’s out of place.

How You Should Handle Mouth Sores or Irritation There are a few things we recommend, starting with using dental wax to cover any sharp edges of your brackets and wires. It’s also helpful to rinse periodically with warm saltwater and avoid spicy, acidic, and sugary foods.

Broken Ligature

Is a Broken Ligature an Emergency? If one of the rubber bands that’s holding your braces in place snaps, then it’s important that you call us. That way, we fix it before any problems occur, like uneven pressure distribution that causes your teeth to move into the wrong positions.

How You Should Handle a Broken Ligature The best thing to do is to schedule an appointment with us so we can provide you with a new rubber band. To prevent this orthodontic emergency from occurring in the future, do your best to follow the treatment guidelines, like avoiding crunchy foods.

Soft Tissue Cuts

Is a Cut Lip, Cheek, or Tongue an Emergency? If the cut has resulted in uncontrollable bleeding or is present in tandem with any potentially life-threatening symptoms (like trouble swallowing), then you need to seek medical attention at the ER or call 911.

How You Should Handle a Cut Lip, Cheek, or Tongue Typically, soft tissue cuts can be handled in two simple steps: rinsing your mouth thoroughly with clean water and applying pressure to the cut with a damp washcloth. If the bleeding doesn’t stop within 10 minutes, seek medical attention.

Something Stuck Between the Teeth

Broken or Lost Retainer

Loose Teeth

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