Orthodontic EMERGENCIES

What is an Orthodontic Emergency? 

True orthodontic emergencies are rare. If the patient is experiencing severe pain or has a painful appliance problem that you are unable to resolve yourself, these are considered to be a true orthodontic emergency.  In either of these cases you should contact our office.

  • You can reach us during normal business hours at 407-699-1102
  • If it is after hours, on the weekend, or over a holiday, please TEXT the patient’s name and reason to our emergency after hours number: 407-603-1889 or call our office number: 407-699-1102; press Option 5 and leave a voicemail for our “on-call” team member.  Texts and calls will be returned as soon as possible. 
  • If you are calling about something other than a “true” emergency, please call our normal office number and leave a voicemail in our general mailbox.  Your call will be returned on the next business day. 

Important Phone Numbers (Please save in your phone under Weeks Ortho as your contact); 

TEXTING NUMBER ONLY:  407-603-1889

OFFICE PHONE LINE:  407-699-1102 (this number does not send or receive text messages)

Common ortho issues: Non-Emergency

True orthodontic emergencies are rare. If the patient is experiencing severe pain or has a painful appliance problem that you are unable to resolve yourself, these are considered to be a true orthodontic emergency.  In either of these cases you should contact our office.

General soreness

When you get your braces on, and sometimes following adjustments, it is normal to experience general soreness in your mouth and your teeth may be tender to biting pressures for up to one week.

  • Stick to a soft diet until your teeth do not hurt when you chew
  • Irritated gums and other sore spots can be relieved by rinsing your mouth with warm salt-water.  Dissolve one teaspoonful of salt in eight ounces of warm water; rinse your mouth vigorously.  This can be done multiple times throughout the day.
  • If the tenderness is more severe, you can take OTC pain medications as you would for a headache or similar pain:  (i.e: Tylenol, Advil or Aspirin).  

Lost Separator/Spacer

It is quite common for some patients to lose at least one separator during treatment. The separators need to be in place for about a week to do their job. After a few days, they may create enough room between your back teeth so that they fall out on their own. This is perfectly ok and is not an emergency; it simply means there is enough room now. If your appointment is within one to two days then we do not need to replace this sep. However, if your appointment is three or more days away, contact us so we can make a quick appointment to replace it.

Broken or Loose Bracket and/or Band

If your bracket is still attached to the wire you should leave it in place and use wax to stick in to the tooth. If the bracket comes off entirely, try to save it and bring with you to your next orthodontic appointment.  Please call our office to schedule an appointment to have the bracket or band replaced or repaired.  Broken Brackets are common at times and are not considered a “True” emergency.  Please alert us if this happens and we will schedule you accordingly during normal business hours. 

Poking Wire

If a wire is causing irritation, try pushing it away from the irritated area and cover the end with a small piece of orthodontic wax.  If your lips or cheeks are irritated, place wax on the area to reduce the annoyance.  If the issue persists and patient discomfort is high, please call our office immediately or our emergency line to discuss with a team member.  

Expander (RPE) / Holding Arches/ Herbst Appliance

The most common problems we see with certain appliance are broken or loose bands, If your bands become loose, please call to have the appliance re-cemented. You should carefully follow the food list and avoid sticky, hard foods. 

If a Herbst rod comes out completely or becomes detached, please text our emergency number with a photo so that we can best triage the situation. 

Lost Retainers/ Broken Fixed Retainer

If you have lost or broken your removable retainers, please contact our office during normal business hours or leave a voicemail on our general mailbox. We will contact you on our next business day to schedule you an appointment.

If a fixed retainer comes loose or comes out completely, it is important you keep wearing your removable retainer at night as directed.   Please call our office during normal business hours or leave a voicemail in our general mailbox and we will be in contact to repair as soon as possible.  If your lower fixed retainer comes off on only one side, please use wax for comfort until we are able to repair this.