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Orthodontic emergencies are very rare, but if they happen, we are here to help\u00a0 you.\u00a0 Many times they occur when excessive force is placed on the brackets, and the bond between the tooth and the braces breaks.\u00a0 To reduce the chance of such emergencies, always wear a protective mouth guard when playing contact sports. Also try to avoid hard, crunchy, chewy foods such as ice, hard candy, nuts, hard breads, taffy, and caramel.\u00a0 Regardless of why the orthodontic emergency has occurred, please call our Laurel Canyon Blvd. office in Valley Village at (818) 980-5300 as soon as possible, so that we can take care of the emergency and repair the damaged appliances.\u00a0 In the meantime, the following\u00a0 page has several helpful steps you may take to alleviate the discomfort\u00a0 until you can come into the office.\u00a0 You may also watch the video below to help as a visual aid in taking care of your orthodontic emergency.<\/p>\n

Poking wire:<\/h2>\n

As the teeth move the wires sometimes become too long or short.\u00a0 This may result in the wire poking you in your cheeks.\u00a0 Try to bend the wire toward your teeth by using a blunt instrument such as the end of a pencil with an eraser.\u00a0 If you are unable to do that, you may cut the wire flush to the closest bracket by using a clean nail clipper or a small cutter.\u00a0 The simplest solution may be to place a small piece of orthodontic\u00a0 wax over the poking wire until you come to our office, so that we may take care of the irritation for you.<\/p>\n

Broken bracket or band:<\/h2>\n

When a bracket or band has broken off of the tooth, it is usually still attached to the main arch-wire.\u00a0 The bracket has a special clip that latches on the arch wire.\u00a0 You will know that the bracket is loose by seeing it “wiggle” or move.\u00a0 If the loose bracket is not bothering you, simply call our Valley Village office at (818) 980-5300 to schedule an appointment to repair the loose bracket as soon as possible.\u00a0 If the loose bracket is poking you, then place a piece of orthodontic wax over the broken bracket until you can come in for your appointment.\u00a0 Do not attempt to wear a headgear or attach a rubber band to a loose bracket or band.<\/p>\n

Rubber spacer:<\/h2>\n

If your spacer comes out, it usually means that a space between the contact areas of your teeth has opened.\u00a0 If this happens right before your scheduled appointment, it usually does not need to be replaced. If the spacer comes out soon after it has been placed, you will most likely need to come into the office to have it replaced.\u00a0 Please call our Valley Village orthodontic office at (818) 980-5300 so that we can guide you through the proper steps.<\/p>\n

Sore teeth:<\/h2>\n

Sometimes your teeth may get sore after an orthodontic adjustment is done.\u00a0 You may take Tylenol or Advil\u00a0 to help alleviate the soreness.\u00a0 You may also do warm salt water rinses to reduce the soreness in your gums and jaws.\u00a0 If the soreness lasts more than one week, call our Valley Village orthodontic office.<\/p>\n

Bleeding gums:<\/h2>\n

Bleeding in your gums is usually an indication of a local irritation or infection.\u00a0 This is usually caused by plaque build-up from poor brushing and flossing.\u00a0 Make sure you brush your teeth at least four times a day and after each meal. You should floss your teeth at least once a day.\u00a0 Electric tooth brushes with timers , water- picks, and mouth rinses such as Listerine Total Care, in conjunction with seeing your general dentist every 3-6 months for cleanings, and checkups can be useful tools in eliminating bleeding gums.\u00a0\u00a0 If you have persisting bleeding gums, call our Valley Village office at (818) 980-5300 as soon as possible.<\/p>\n

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Orthodontic emergencies are very rare, but if they happen, we are here to help\u00a0 you.\u00a0 Many times they occur when excessive force is placed on the brackets, and the bond between the tooth and the braces breaks.\u00a0 To reduce the chance of such emergencies, always wear a protective mouth guard when playing contact sports. Also […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-30033233","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\n