Emergency Dental Care in Irvine 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 you experience severe pain or when you have a painful appliance problem that you can’t take care of yourself. We’ll be able to schedule an appointment to resolve the problem. You might be surprised to learn that you may be able to temporarily solve many problems yourself until you schedule an appointment with our office.
When working with your appliances, you need to know the names of the parts of your appliances so you are able to identify what part is broken or out of place. 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.
The following solutions may help you relieve your discomfort:
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.
Headgear Does Not Fit
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 face bow is bent, please call our office for assistance. Surprisingly, the headgear may hurt less if it’s worn more, so be sure you’re getting in the prescribed hours.
General Soreness
When you get your braces on, you may feel general soreness in your mouth and teeth may be tender to biting pressures for three to five days. This can be relieved by rinsing your mouth with warm salt water mouthwash. Dissolve one teaspoonful of salt in 8 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!
Frequently Asked Question
What qualifies as emergency dental care?
Keep in mind that emergency dental care involves all of the medical attention you should get when facing potentially life-threatening situations that involve your dental structures or orofacial region. Dental emergencies are not like orthodontic emergencies. Please get in touch with an ER if you require emergency dental care.
How does emergency dentistry work?
Oral health emergencies require help from an emergency dentist. A marked difference with traditional dentistry services is that emergency dentists allow walk-in patients and provide same-day attention to solve any ongoing problems. This is critical, considering the dangerous nature of dental emergencies.
What are the common dental emergencies?
Most common dental emergencies are related to undergoing direct trauma to your face. Perhaps, you were playing sports and fell face down. People who play contact sports might suffer a blow directly to their teeth. Even worse, those emergencies might lead to a knocked-out tooth. You should pay close attention to situations where you feel a lot of pain or swelling; usually, these symptoms are indicative of an infection that could result in severe health complications.
What are the tips to avoid dental emergencies?
The first and most important of all the tips we could give you is to maintain good dental hygiene. Preventing tooth decay keeps you safe from most dental problems that can lead to severe complications. Another way to avoid dental emergencies is to use preventative measures, such as dental sealants. You might also want to ask about mouthguards and protecting your teeth during sports.
How much is an emergency dental appointment?
Emergency dental care is usually a bit more expensive than traditional dental appointments. You will have to consult with each care provider, as the cost per appointment might vary from one provider to another.
