If you are in braces:
What do I do if I have a poking wire?
If you have a wire that is bothering you, use the wax that was given to you at your last visit to place over the wire. Most local drugstores carry orthodontic wax, it can also be found online at Walmart or Amazon. Gum may also be place over the wire temporarily alleviate any discomfort as well. The wire may also be “clipped” with wire clippers or nail clippers however, please use caution and make sure to disinfect the instruments prior to attempting to clip the wire yourself.
What do I do if a bracket come off?
If one of your orthodontic brackets “braces” comes off, leave the bracket as it is. If you are able to slide it off the wire and remove it, you may.
What do I do if an elastic hook/button comes off?
If a button or hook that you hang your elastics “rubber bands” on comes off, please discontinue wearing the elastic until we are able to see you in the office.
If you are in Invisalign:
What do I do if I am on my last aligner?
If you are currently on your last aligner, please continue to wear it 20-22 hours a day until we are able to see you in the office. If you discontinue wearing the aligners the teeth will shift back towards their original positions and we will lose the progress we have already achieved. We recommend keeping all of your current aligners until we are able to see you in the office. If an aligner is lost or broken please move back into the previous aligner and wear it 20-22 hours.
What do I do if I have a rough spot on my Invisalign aligner?
If you have a rough spot on your aligner, you may use a clean nail file to smooth out the rough edges.
What do I do if one of my Invisalign attachments (the tooth colored bumps that are bonded on the teeth) falls off?
If an attachment falls off, continue to wear and progress through your aligners . It is important that you continue to wear your aligners 20-22 hours a day so your current progress is not lost.
What do I do if my permanent wire retainer falls out?
If your permanent wire retainer comes out, please keep the wire in a safe spot until we are able to get you in to get it rebounded. If you have a removeable retainer, please make sure you are wearing it every night to ensure the teeth do not shift while the wire is out. If the wire partially comes out and you are able to safely remove it, do so and keep it in a safe spot! Do not throw the wire away!