Emergencies
Home Care
In most cases areas of discomfort can be taken care of at home with simple adjustments & home care steps.
Irritated gums and sore spots can be relieved by rinsing with warm salt-water (dissolve 1 teaspoon of salt into a cup of warm water) a few times a day.
Please use the soft wax in your hygiene kit to reduce the discomfort from your new braces to your cheeks and tongue - make sure you soften a pea-size ball of wax between your fingers and dry the area prior to application of the wax.
Please read & download home emergency care instructions:
Tri-Valley Orthodontics Braces Care Instructions
These are the guidelines that we reviewed with you during your oral hygiene & care tutorial following the placement of your braces. Please print this PDF & refer to it during your first week of treatment & beyond.
Taking care of orthodontic emergencies at home.
We’ve created this tutorial on how to take care of the most common orthodontic emergencies using simple tools found around the house.
For our current patients please email us at info@tri-ortho.com with a photo of your orthodontic emergency so that we can provide detailed instructions on how to use the guidelines in this video.
Problems & Home Solutions
Loose Band or Bracket: If the band or bracket is still attached to the wire, leave it in place – place wax on the bracket and we’ll repair the broken bracket at your next visit. If the bracket is unattached to the wire, remove it gently and bring it with you to your next visit.
Sliding or Loose Wire: Gently slide the wire back into place and into the molar tube with your fingers or clean tweezers / needle nose pliers. Use a generous piece of wax to ease discomfort. As a last resort, you can clip the sharp wire with a clean nail clipper behind the last tooth to which it is attached.
Poking or Sticking wire: Try pushing the sticking wire down with the end of a pencil eraser and use a large piece of soft wax on the sharp parts to ease discomfort.
Loose elastic tie or O-ring: The O-ring is the colored elastic tie around your bracket. It’s okay to wait for your next adjustment if one or two of the rings come off and the wire is stable. You can also use a piece of floss and gently secure the wire back into the braces. We’ll replace it at your next appt.
Loose Appliance: If your appliance comes loose on both sides, carefully remove it and place it in your case so that it can be re-cemented on your next visit- the appliance may have come loose due to excess manipulation with your tongue/fingers or from a hard/sticky/chewy food or object. If your appliance comes loose on one side, please call the office immediately for an emergency visit so that it can be removed or re-cemented according to the doctor’s instructions.
Appliance or Headgear no longer fits correctly: If your appliance has become distorted and no longer fits comfortably as before – please do not try to force it into place – call our office and schedule an emergency visit so Dr. Ko can adjust your appliance for you.
Contact Us
During office hours: Please call us at (925) 272-7868 in case of an orthodontic emergency.
Outside of normal office hours: Please email the doctor directly at info@tri-ortho.com with a photo of your area of concern.