Raymond M. Sugiyama, Orthodontist practicing in San Francisco, CA

True orthodontic emergencies are very rare, but when they do occur we are available to you.

As a general rule, you should call the office when something is hurting or poking you that you can't take care of yourself. We would be glad to schedule an appointment to resolve the problem.

You might be surprised to learn that you can solve many orthodontic emergencies yourself until your next scheduled appointment. When calling our office it is helpful to identify the parts of your braces names of the parts of your braces so we can schedule the correct amount of 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.

The following solutions may help you relieve your discomfort:

Poking Wire

Using an eraser at the end of a pencil carefully push the poking wire towards the tooth. If this does not help place wax on it and call our office for an appointment.

Loose bracket or band

If your bracket or band is still attached to the wire, leave it in place, if it is uncomfortable put wax on it until you can get to our office.

Loose Wire

Using tweezers try to put your wire back into place. If you're unsuccessful, 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 and call our office for an appointment.

Headgear Discomfort

Sometimes headgear discomfort is caused by not wearing the headgear as instructed by your orthodontist. Please refer to the instructions provided by your orthodontist. If the headgear is worn consistantly the tenderness you feel at the beginning will go away quickly.

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