| Emergencies, what do I do?!?! |
Drs. Tottenham & Jennings Specialists in Orthodontics
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According to Murphy’s Law, emergencies will occur late on Saturday nights. Most things can be
“patched” until you can be seen by the doctor. Here are some pointers on how to handle problems.
As you will see, wax is our duct tape! The more you know, the better prepared you will be. Don't
let a minor problem ruin your weekend because you do not what know what to do.
1) Wire pokes: Place a small piece of wax on the end to make it smooth, or if the wire slips out of the last tooth
you can use tweezers to place the wire back in the tube.
2) Broken brackets: These should not cause any major problems that can’t wait until the doctor can fix them.
Wax can help keep the bracket from sliding around.
3) Loose bands: Not much you can do about this one. If the appliance comes out, be sure to hold on to it.
How to minimize soreness:
1) Trust me. Use the chew wafer! Chew into it like a piece of food. When you were a baby, your parents
probably gave you a teething ring to help with soreness. It is the same thing.
2) Take whatever you would take for headaches. I would take it before they get sore. Don’t wait for the
soreness to wear off before taking your next dose. Usually your soreness will last about 3 days.
3) Don’t eat soft foods. This sounds crazy, but the more you work your teeth the faster the soreness will go
away.
What not to eat: This is huge! If you think it will break your braces, it probably will. Hard, sticky candies are the
worst. You know when you bite into a Jolly Rancher and your teeth stick together? With braces, your brackets will
stick to the candy and come off of your teeth when you open. If a bracket is off of a tooth, the tooth is not moving =
longer treatment time. This adds up really quickly.
Oral Hygiene
It is very important to keep all plaque (bacteria) off of your teeth while your braces are on. If left on teeth, plaque will
form white spots called decalcifications that will not go away or cavities may form! Braces do not cause white spots
and cavities, poor brushing does. Trust me, you do not want a great smile at the end of treatment and have white
spots all over your teeth.
How to prevent this:
1) Brush after every meal.
2) Leave your travel toothbrush in your locker at school, and brush after lunch or snacks.
3) Brush your gums, not just your teeth. If your gums bleed when you brush, you need to spend more time
brushing in that area. I promise you will not bleed to death. Bleeding gums mean there is an infection there.
4) Be sure to floss between your teeth.
5) Use the fluoride gel that we gave you.
6) Most importantly, see your dentist at least every 6 months!
You can purchase all of the hygiene products in your kit at any grocery store.
Getting use to your braces
At first it will feel very different having braces. You are not use to them, your lips are not used to them and
especially your teeth are not used to them. Your lips may become sore from rubbing on the braces. It is like
rubbing a blister on your hand after working in the yard. At first you get sore but your lips and cheeks will “toughen
up” like a callus on your hand. Your teeth will probably become sore by dinner. This is normal. Believe me it is a lot
better than when I had braces.
If in doubt, don’t hesitate to call the office during regular business hours at (281) 497-7920.
For an unmanageable emergency please call us at (281) 961-2088 and an assistant will call you as soon as
possible.
“patched” until you can be seen by the doctor. Here are some pointers on how to handle problems.
As you will see, wax is our duct tape! The more you know, the better prepared you will be. Don't
let a minor problem ruin your weekend because you do not what know what to do.
1) Wire pokes: Place a small piece of wax on the end to make it smooth, or if the wire slips out of the last tooth
you can use tweezers to place the wire back in the tube.
2) Broken brackets: These should not cause any major problems that can’t wait until the doctor can fix them.
Wax can help keep the bracket from sliding around.
3) Loose bands: Not much you can do about this one. If the appliance comes out, be sure to hold on to it.
How to minimize soreness:
1) Trust me. Use the chew wafer! Chew into it like a piece of food. When you were a baby, your parents
probably gave you a teething ring to help with soreness. It is the same thing.
2) Take whatever you would take for headaches. I would take it before they get sore. Don’t wait for the
soreness to wear off before taking your next dose. Usually your soreness will last about 3 days.
3) Don’t eat soft foods. This sounds crazy, but the more you work your teeth the faster the soreness will go
away.
What not to eat: This is huge! If you think it will break your braces, it probably will. Hard, sticky candies are the
worst. You know when you bite into a Jolly Rancher and your teeth stick together? With braces, your brackets will
stick to the candy and come off of your teeth when you open. If a bracket is off of a tooth, the tooth is not moving =
longer treatment time. This adds up really quickly.
Oral Hygiene
It is very important to keep all plaque (bacteria) off of your teeth while your braces are on. If left on teeth, plaque will
form white spots called decalcifications that will not go away or cavities may form! Braces do not cause white spots
and cavities, poor brushing does. Trust me, you do not want a great smile at the end of treatment and have white
spots all over your teeth.
How to prevent this:
1) Brush after every meal.
2) Leave your travel toothbrush in your locker at school, and brush after lunch or snacks.
3) Brush your gums, not just your teeth. If your gums bleed when you brush, you need to spend more time
brushing in that area. I promise you will not bleed to death. Bleeding gums mean there is an infection there.
4) Be sure to floss between your teeth.
5) Use the fluoride gel that we gave you.
6) Most importantly, see your dentist at least every 6 months!
You can purchase all of the hygiene products in your kit at any grocery store.
Getting use to your braces
At first it will feel very different having braces. You are not use to them, your lips are not used to them and
especially your teeth are not used to them. Your lips may become sore from rubbing on the braces. It is like
rubbing a blister on your hand after working in the yard. At first you get sore but your lips and cheeks will “toughen
up” like a callus on your hand. Your teeth will probably become sore by dinner. This is normal. Believe me it is a lot
better than when I had braces.
If in doubt, don’t hesitate to call the office during regular business hours at (281) 497-7920.
For an unmanageable emergency please call us at (281) 961-2088 and an assistant will call you as soon as
possible.