Orthodontic appliances can transform your life in more ways than one. But they do require a bit of special care to keep them functioning at their optimum level, and to ensure your smile remains healthy throughout the course of your treatment.
Have questions about taking care of your orthodontic appliances? Find answers here!
While brackets are secured to your teeth with powerful dental cement, sometimes a bracket can detach from its tooth. If this happens to you, don’t panic! First, assess the situation and give us a call at (707) 443-1390 to tell us what happened. We’ll guide you through the next steps, and schedule an appointment for as soon as possible. In the meantime, there are a few additional steps you can take to keep yourself comfortable.
If it’s easily accessible, you can remove the bracket and put it in a small container to bring with you to your appointment. You can also use some orthodontic wax to keep the bracket in place, and to help prevent it from irritating your gums or the inside of your mouth.
Protruding wires can poke your mouth and cause serious discomfort. Fortunately, there are some steps you can take to alleviate this until your next appointment. The first step, as with any orthodontic appliance issue, is to call Century Orthodontics at (707) 443-1390 for guidance, and to schedule an appointment if necessary. If the wire is still attached to the bracket, and only protruding a bit, you can attempt to gently move it back into position with a cotton swab or pencil eraser. Be careful not to push too hard though, as this can cause more damage.
The best solution is to cover the end of the wire with orthodontic wax to keep it from causing discomfort until you are able to visit our office.
If you damage or misplace your clear aligners, call us at (707) 443-1390 right away to let us know. We will likely have you switch into your next set of aligners and spend a little extra time in them. Remember, clear aligners are ideally meant to be worn for 22 hours a day, and every hour less than that can cause delays in your treatment, and may even allow your teeth time to shift towards their original position, causing you to revert back to a previous tray.
