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First
Aid
| If
a wire is poking you, first try to bend it with
a spoon or a pencil eraser. If you are unsuccessful, place
a small piece of wax or wet cotton over it until
you can get in for an appointment. |
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If
a bracket or band is loose and still attached to
the archwire, leave it in place. If it becomes uncomfortable,
cover with wax and call for an appointment. If it
falls out, bring it with you to your next appointment.
Do not attempt to connect headgear or elastics to
a loose band. |
| If
the arch wire comes out of a tube, try to place
the wire back into the tube with tweezers. Place
wax if uncomfortable and call for an appointment. |
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| If
your teeth are sore after an orthodontic visit,
take acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil)
as normally recommended. Another tip is to rinse
your mouth with really warm water with a little
bit of salt dissolved in it. This helps sooth the
gums much like a hot-water bottle will do for sore
muscles! Plan soft foods for meals until the discomfort
goes away -- which is usually 48 hours. If the discomfort
gets progressively worse or remains the same after
4 days, call us! |
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If
a part of your braces breaks, save the piece and
call to set up a repair visit. If a retainer breaks,
do not try to repair it yourself. Call to have us
repair it. |
If
you notice some small spaces developing between
your teeth while you have braces on, don't panic!
This is usually normal and expected as teeth move
into different positions, particularly in the early
stages of treatment. They will be closed eventually.
If a rubber spacer falls out, you can try to replace
it yourself by threading a couple pieces of floss
through it and then pulling it under and up between
the teeth. Then remove the floss.
If you experience any bleeding when brushing or
flossing, that usually means there is a local area
of infection. Continue to keep the area clean by
brushing, flossing and rinsing with Listerine. If
a particular area is painful or you notice a bump
of any sort, you should contact Dr. Alford
as soon as possible. |
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