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 Even though you are careful, you still
might occasionally do some damage to your appliances. Please remember:
you should call the office when you experience pain or when you have
an appliance problem that you can't take care of yourself.
We’ll schedule an appointment to resolve the problem.
However, you may be able to temporarily
solve many problems yourself until we can see you at the office.
After alleviating your discomfort, it is very important that you
still call our office as soon as possible to schedule a time to
repair the problem. Allowing your appliance to remain damaged for an
extended period of time may result in disruptions in your treatment
plan.
Poking Wire: Using a pencil eraser, push the poking wire down
or place wax on it to alleviate the discomfort.
Loose Bracket or Band: If your bracket or band is still
attached to the wire, you should leave it in place and put wax on it.
If the wire comes out entirely, wrap the bracket with a tissue.
Loose Wire: Using tweezers, try to place your wire back into
place. If doing this and using wax does not help, as a last resort
use a small fingernail clipper to clip the wire behind the last tooth
to which it is securely fastened. If your discomfort continues, place
wax on it.
Loose Appliance: If your appliance is poking you, place wax on
the offending part of your appliance.
General Soreness: When you get your braces on, you may feel
general soreness in your mouth and teeth may be tender for three to
five days. This can be relieved by rinsing your mouth with a warm
saltwater mouthwash. Dissolve one teaspoonful of salt in eight ounces
of warm water, and rinse your mouth vigorously. Placing Orabase on
the affected area may help; this can be found in your local pharmacy.
If the tenderness is severe, take aspirin or whatever you normally
take for headache or similar pain. The lips, cheeks and tongue may
also become irritated for one to two weeks as they toughen and become
accustomed to the surface of the braces. You can put wax on the
braces to lessen this. We'll show you how!
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