Orthodontic Emergencies — Palm Harbor, FL

Fast Orthodontic Care When You Need It Most!

Orthodontic emergencies are relatively rare, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t happen! And as with any emergency situation, it’s essential to know how to handle one before it happens. For instance, would you know what to do if your child broke one of their braces wires, or if you snapped one of your Invisalign aligners? Fortunately, all you have to do is give Dr. Alex Johnson and his team a call. We’ll walk you through what to do next over the phone and schedule you a same-day emergency appointment if necessary. Even if you are unsure if your situation qualifies as an emergency, we encourage you to reach out to us right away. Read on to learn more about orthodontic emergencies and don’t hesitate to give us a call for fast orthodontic care when you need it most!

Woman with braces having an orthodontic emergency in Palm Harbor

Why Choose Dr. Alex Johnson for Emergency Orthodontic Care?

  • Compassionate Orthodontist with Over 30 Years of Experience
  • We Treat Patients of All Ages & Have an On-Site Pediatric Dentist
  • Your Comfort Will Always Be Our Top Priority

What to Do in an Orthodontic Emergency

Pained girl with braces visiting Palm Harbor emergency orthodontist
  • Step 1: Call us right away. If you or a loved one experiences an orthodontic emergency, don’t hesitate to call us as soon as you can.
  • Step 2: Follow our instructions. Over the phone, one of our experienced team members will walk you through how to address your orthodontic emergency. While many situations can be resolved this way, we may schedule you for a same-day emergency appointment depending on the case.
  • Step 3: See Dr. Johnson. Whether you see us for a same-day emergency appointment or several days later, your Palm Harbor emergency orthodontist will see you right away. If needed, he’ll provide pain relief while evaluating your condition.
  • Step 4: Review the findings & get the care you need. After your examination, Dr. Johnson will review his findings with you and explain the issue. Many times, we will be able to fix any orthodontic emergency right away, but we may schedule you for a follow-up appointment or refer you to your general dentist for treatment depending on the nature of your situation. Whatever the case, we’ll do everything we can to get your smile back on track right away.

The Most Common Orthodontic Emergencies

There are various situations that qualify as orthodontic emergencies, ranging from minor to serious. If you are in pain or if your braces are seriously damaged, you likely have an orthodontic emergency that needs urgent treatment. Other situations that are less demanding, such as a loose wire or a lost aligner, can often wait until the next available appointment to address. Sometimes, we may even be able to handle it over the phone! Below, you’ll find a list of some of the most common orthodontic emergencies we treat.

Understanding the Cost of Treating Orthodontic Emergencies

Picture of a set of broken braces

If you’re dealing with any kind of dental emergency, you’ll likely be more interested in dealing with the issue itself than stressing about payment. For that reason, we make it as easy as possible to pay for your treatment.

We won’t necessarily be able to tell you what your treatment will cost until we meet you in person, but until then, here’s some information that could potentially help you to get the care that you need.

Every Orthodontic Emergency Is Different

Tooth next to a first aid kit

Part of the reason that it’s difficult to tell you what your treatment is going to cost without meeting you first is because every orthodontic emergency is completely different. It can be really difficult to predict how your treatment is going to play out until we meet you in person; it could be fixed with just a minor treatment, or could require a complete overhaul of your orthodontics. When we meet you, we’ll be able to give you a better idea of the treatment options available to you and what they’re likely to cost you.

Does Dental Insurance Cover Orthodontic Emergencies?

Dental insurance form on a table

Typically, dental insurance will cover at least a portion of the typical dental emergency. Most plans will cover anywhere from 50-80% of root canal therapy, crowns, extractions, and other such procedures. However, it’s hit or miss whether orthodontics will be covered by insurance, which means that it’s important to check with your dental plan in order to make sure that you’re taking full advantage of the benefits available to you.

Other Options for Making Orthodontic Emergencies Affordable

Money put into a jar

Even if you don’t have insurance, we have options that can help you make the care that you get from us affordable. You might want to investigate financing options, which can allow you to split the cost of your treatments across several monthly payments. We often work with CareCredit, which is a firm that offers low-to-no interest terms that can take a lot of the financial pressure off of your treatment.

If you want to know more about how you can make the care that you get from us affordable, give us a call and we’ll be able to talk to you about your options.

Taking Care of Your Smile Can Save Your Money

Someone flossing their braces

It’s worth noting that while some orthodontic emergencies can be avoided, this isn’t necessarily the case for all of them. Preventing problems from arising often comes down to putting in a little bit of effort each day to improve the quality of your oral health. Making routine dental appointments and sticking with excellent dental hygiene will ensure that you spend much less time and money in the dentist’s office in the long run.

It's also important to act fast if you find that you’re dealing with an orthodontic emergency, as these kinds of things tend to only get worse with time. If you have a problem, give us a call and we’ll help you get it sorted out.

How To Prevent Orthodontic Emergencies

A few simple precautions and healthy habits can tremendously reduce your risk of an orthodontic emergency, making your teeth-straightening journey smoother and more stress-free in the process. To learn a few habits we recommend adopting, read on!

Stick to the Rules of Your Treatment Plan

Perhaps the best thing you can do to keep your smile safe and healthy throughout your treatment is to stick to the rules of your treatment plan. If you have traditional braces, that includes abiding by the dietary restrictions and prioritizing your check-in visits. If you have Invisalign, that includes removing your aligners before you eat anything and always putting them in their storage case when you aren’t wearing them.

Take Good Care of Your Smile

Simply put, if you don’t take good care of your smile, numerous oral health problems can develop, including tooth decay and gum disease. Not only can these negatively impact your day-to-day life, but they can also negatively impact your orthodontic treatment. That’s why it’s so important that you do what you can to keep your teeth and gums healthy, including brushing and flossing daily and rinsing with antimicrobial mouthwash consistently.

Don’t Chew on Hard Foods or Items

Whether you have traditional braces or clear aligners, you shouldn’t chew on crunchy foods, like hard pretzels. After all, it takes just one bite for your bracket to break or your attachment to fall off. For the same reasons, we instruct patients not to chew on ice cubes, pencils, pen caps, and the like.

Tip: Find alternatives that work for you! For example, if you like to munch on raw carrots during the afternoon, opt for cooked carrots instead.

Never Use Your Teeth as Tools

Patients often unintentionally get into the habit of using their teeth as tools. A few examples include putting their keys in their mouth when their hands are full or using their teeth to tear into plastic wrapping. These may seem harmless, but they can easily lead to a chipped tooth, a broken aligner, or a protruding wire. That’s why we recommend quitting habits like these altogether.

Wear a Mouthguard During Sports

Contact sports require a mouthguard to be worn. However, you should wear one even during non-contact sports and activities, like skateboarding. That way, both your teeth and your braces are protected from impact in the event that you accidentally fall.

Note: We also recommend wearing a nightguard if you grind or clench your teeth at night.

Orthodontic Emergency FAQs

Teen boy covering his mouth, standing against yellow background

Dr. Johnson and our team are ready to take fast action to get your treatment back on track when you experience an orthodontic emergency. Before that happens, though, you might have questions about urgent orthodontic situations and how you should handle them. Below, you will find some practical information. If your specific questions are not touched on here, call our office. We will be happy to speak with you!

What Supplies Should I Keep on Hand in Case there Is an Orthodontic Emergency?

A few supplies that may prove to be helpful during an orthodontic emergency include:

  • Orthodontic wax
  • Over-the-counter pain relievers
  • Dental floss and floss threaders (or other supplies that you can use to safely remove stuck food from between your teeth)
  • Extra rubber bands
  • A container to store any small, broken orthodontic appliances

Should I Ever Visit the Emergency Room for an Orthodontic Emergency?

Most problems that relate to braces and other orthodontic treatments should be handled by an orthodontist; emergency room personnel do not have the training or equipment to handle such situations. However, there are a few exceptions. For example, in very rare cases, patients have accidentally swallowed or aspirated a small piece of their braces (to aspirate means to draw something into the lungs).

If such a situation causes excessive coughing, difficulty breathing, or other serious symptoms, a visit to the emergency room is in order.

How Can I Tell if I Should Visit My General Dentist or Orthodontist for Emergency Care?

As a general rule of them, you should visit us (your orthodontist) for any problems that relate directly to your orthodontic treatment. For example, broken braces, lost clear aligners, and similar issues all fall under our domain.

However, if your braces break and you have another serious problem, such as a severely loose tooth, a knocked-out tooth, or a severe toothache, it may be best to visit your general dentist.

If you are ever unsure of whether you should see us or your general dentist, call us and describe the situation. We will provide our professional opinion on the steps you should take.

How Long Can I Wait Before My Emergency Orthodontic Appointment?

Generally speaking, orthodontic emergencies are not as urgent as other types of emergencies. If necessary, you can probably wait a few days before attending an appointment. However, unnecessarily postponing care could cause delays in your treatment and possibly interfere with the progress of your teeth’s movements. It is best to seek treatment as soon as your circumstances allow.

Toothache

Is a toothache an emergency? Right after getting braces put on, adjusted, or switching to a new clear aligner, a little discomfort in the teeth is normal—this just means the treatment is working! However, if your soreness doesn’t go away within 2-3 days, or if it’s surrounding one specific tooth, you may have an underlying oral health issue like damaged enamel, dental abscess, or tooth infection. Your toothache qualifies as an emergency if:

  • Pain is severe or long-lasting
  • There’s a small bump on your gums
  • A tooth has become discolored or numb

How you should handle toothaches: Make sure to avoid hard foods as you adjust to your braces or aligners to minimize soreness. Rinse your mouth out with water, then brush and floss your teeth. If pain persists, you can use an ice pack or over-the-counter pain reliever to manage your symptoms until you can see us.

Loose Bracket or Wire

Is a loose bracket or wire an emergency? A loose wire or bracket isn’t typically a serious orthodontic emergency that needs immediate attention, but it does need to be addressed in a timely manner. If part of your braces is loose, it’s likely that they aren’t doing enough to move your teeth into the correct positions. To make sure your treatment stays on track, we’ll want to see you right away!

How you should handle a loose bracket or wire: If you have a loose wire, do you have a pair of tweezers? If so, do your best to place the wire back into its original position. If this fails, a pair of fingernail clippers can be used to clip the wire. Do you have a loose bracket that is still attached to the wire? Try to move it to a comfortable position (or its original position on your tooth). In either situation, place orthodontic wax or sugarless gum over the area to keep it in place.

Broken Bracket or Wire

Is a broken bracket or wire an emergency? If a bracket or wire falls out of place or breaks, then you should call us as quickly as possible. If your braces break, not only are they not moving your teeth into their proper positions, but they could potentially damage other areas of your mouth! We’ll want to see you right away to keep your smile healthy and your treatment on track.

How you should handle a broken bracket or wire: For a bracket or wire that has fallen out of place, rinse it off and keep it in a clean container to bring with you to your appointment. If the damaged part of your braces is still in your mouth, try to gently move it back into place with a cotton swab and hold it there with orthodontic wax.

Protruding/Poking Wire

Is a poking or protruding wire an emergency? Sometimes, the end of the wire can stick out and poke the cheek tissue. Many times, this initial discomfort will fade away within a few days of getting your braces or having them adjusted. However, you should call us right away if a poking wire is causing significant discomfort or appears suddenly. We’ll want to evaluate your braces to make sure they’re working properly, and we’ll adjust them so you’re no longer being poked.

How you should handle a poking or protruding wire: In some cases, you may be able to use a cotton swab, q-tip, or eraser end of a pencil to push the wire back into place so it’s not protruding out. Otherwise, you can put a dab of orthodontic wax or sugarless gum on the end to keep it from irritating the tissue. If your soft tissues have been scratched, you can rinse your mouth with saltwater to ease discomfort and bring down swelling.

Mouth Sores or Irritation

Are mouth sores or irritation an emergency? When you get your braces on or start a new set of clear aligners, you may feel general soreness in your mouth, and teeth may be tender to biting pressures for three to five days. This is completely normal! In fact, it’s an indication that your treatment is already working on straightening your smile. Mouth sores or irritation only qualify as an emergency if the soreness lingers for several days or begins to get worse, or if there are signs of an infection in your mouth. If you’re concerned about your mouth sores or irritation, don’t hesitate to call us so we can help.

How you should handle mouth sores or irritation: Stick to a soft diet until your teeth do not hurt to chew. Irritated gums and other sore spots can be relieved by rinsing your mouth with a warm salt-water mouthwash. Dissolve one teaspoonful of salt in eight ounces of warm water, and rinse your mouth vigorously. Alternatively, you can rinse with mouthwash. You can also try an oral numbing gel from your local pharmacy to ease discomfort. If the tenderness is severe, take an over-the-counter pain reliever as directed on the label.

Broken Ligature

Is a broken ligature an emergency?  Ligatures are the small rubber bands on each bracket that help keep the wire in place. If just one falls off, it’s not a big deal, and this can be addressed at your next progress appointment. However, if multiple ligatures go missing, there may be a larger, more wide-spread underlying issue with your braces that needs to be treated right away.

How you should handle a broken ligature:  If one ligature has simply fallen off, you may be able to get it back into place with some tweezers. If you can’t manage to do so, or if the ligature has snapped, you’ll need to see us to have the issue fixed. As mentioned above, one lost or broken ligature can wait to be addressed until your next appointment. However, should several come off, you should evaluate your oral hygiene routine and chewing habits to see if you may be accidentally causing the ligatures to break or fall off.

Cut Lips, Cheeks, or Tongue

Is a cut lip, cheek, or tongue an emergency? Even though injuries in the mouth tend to bleed a lot, they are rarely a cause for emergency orthodontic treatment. If the cut was caused by a blow to the face, we will check the integrity of your braces during your next progress appointment. However, if the bleeding is severe or you can’t get it to stop within 10 minutes, you should go directly to your local emergency room!

How you should handle a cut lip, cheek, or tongue: First, rinse your mouth out with water to clean the area. Apply pressure with a wet washcloth or piece of gauze until the bleeding stops. If your braces irritate the injured area, cover up any rough spots with orthodontic wax or sugarless gum.

Something Stuck Between Teeth

Is having something stuck between the teeth an emergency? Since braces create all manner of small places in your mouth, it’s very likely you’ll experience having food debris stuck in them at some point. When food becomes stuck in your braces, it can be a little uncomfortable and embarrassing. Thankfully, this issue should be an easy fix that doesn’t require emergency care. However, if you’re having trouble on your own, don’t hesitate to give us a call and we’ll schedule you for the next available appointment.

How you should handle something stuck between your teeth: Start by rinsing and flossing to dislodge the debris, and if this doesn’t work, it may be best to wait a bit so the food can be broken down by saliva. You can also rinse your mouth out with water or mouthwash. If you can’t remove it and it is causing pain, however, be sure to reach out to our orthodontic office. NEVER use sharp objects like tweezers or toothpicks to dislodge food stuck in your braces, as this could easily damage your teeth or orthodontics.

Broken/Lost Aligner or Retainer

Is a broken or lost aligner or retainer an emergency? Many orthodontic emergencies happen with traditional braces because of their metal wire and bracket design. Clear aligners and retainers don’t have the same propensity for emergencies since they don’t have brackets and wires. However, should you lose or break one, it’s important to take action right away to keep your smile safe.

How you should handle a broken or lost aligner or retainer: It’s always a good idea to keep your aligners case on you or your retainer case nearby, so when you take them out, you can keep them in a safe place. But, should you misplace an aligner or retainer, don’t wait around to see if it shows up on its own. If you haven’t found it by the end of the day, you need to call us so we can give you further instructions. In most cases, you’ll need to come in for a replacement to keep your teeth in the right positions.

Loose Teeth

Are loose teeth an emergency? While a loose sensation in your teeth may feel unsettling, it’s a completely normal symptom to experience while wearing braces or aligners. After all, your teeth are being moved into a brand-new position! Nonetheless, your teeth should not feel overly loose. Sometimes, loose teeth can indicate a serious injury or oral health issue that needs immediate attention. Your loose teeth count as an orthodontic emergency if:

  • There is a very loose feeling in just one or two teeth
  • The loose feeling started after taking a blow to the face
  • The loose tooth or teeth are darker than the others or feel sensitive
  • There is a small bump on the gums near your loose tooth or teeth

How you should handle loose teeth: Don’t play with your loose tooth! If possible, avoid moving it at all with your fingers or tongue. If you must eat before we can see you, only eat very soft foods or liquids. Be extra careful to not chew on anything that isn’t food or use your teeth as tools.