Orthodontic Emergencies | McClaran Orthodontics Quick Guide

Be Ready For Anything

Chances are, you won’t have any issues with your orthodontic care during your time with McClaran Orthodontics since real emergencies are quite rare.

However, it’s always good to be prepared, and there are plenty of tips and tricks to keep your braces and aligners problem-free.

Here to Help

The most common braces problems include:

Difficulty practicing proper oral care
Mild discomfort during treatment
Staining
Loose or broken brackets, wires, and other components

While in braces, it’s important for you or your child to be diligent with your oral care. Braces may require extra care, so be sure to brush and floss properly to avoid developing cavities or other oral health problems.

Mild Discomfort During Treatment

It’s normal to feel some discomfort during adjustment appointments and a couple of days afterward. Dr. McClaran recommends both sugarless gum and mild pain medicines such as ibuprofen or paracetamol to help.

Braces can also scratch the soft tissue in your mouth or cause mild irritation. To help, cover the irritating brackets with wax and request an appointment with Dr. McClaran to see if she needs to replace any pieces of your braces.

Staining

Certain foods and drinks may cause staining during your time in braces. Additionally, if you aren’t careful, white scars can appear on your teeth after braces removal.

Since the brackets cover a small square of each tooth, they protect the enamel under that square. The rest of your teeth can stain as you consume certain foods and drinks, while the square will remain the same color.

In order to prevent this, the patient will need to be very diligent to clean their teeth often. This will ensure that your teeth have a consistent color as the day you got braces put on.

Loose Or Broken Brackets, Wires, & Other Components

Caring for Your Braces

It’s important to remember to brush your teeth regularly. A specialized tool such as a braces brush and a floss threader can get into the hard-to-reach areas between your teeth and around your brackets. Add mouthwash to your daily routine to wash out remaining food particles.

Most components of braces break when hard or sticky foods are involved. Nuts, popcorn, caramel, pretzels, apples, and more can cause an orthodontic emergency. Ask Dr. McClaran for a list of foods to avoid.

Always keep an emergency kit with you containing dental wax, pain relievers, toothbrush, and toothpaste. If a component comes loose, secure it with wax.

If a wire breaks, make sure to press it against your teeth and secure it until you can get an appointment with Dr. McClaran. You can use a pencil eraser or similar object to push the wire in, and top it with wax to avoid poking and inflammation of the soft tissue.

Caring for Your Aligners

Every orthodontic device comes with a set of minor problems and recommendations for care. Clear aligners help straighten your teeth with a series of several plastic trays. Over time, the trays become gradually wider.

When your teeth comfortably fit into one tray, you will continue to graduate to the next until your dental arch has healed in the target position.

Dr. McClaran creates personalized treatment plans to ensure that your teeth gradually move into their final position. Because you can remove clear aligners when you eat and brush your teeth, you don’t have to change your normal oral hygiene routine.

Clear aligners have a lot of benefits. But, like every other orthodontic treatment plan, there are some problems that you must consider when beginning treatment.

Common Aligner Care Problems

Here are some of the most common problems that patients have with clear aligner care:

Tooth sensitivity
Duration of daily wearing time
Discoloration of trays
Brushing teeth constantly
Losing aligners

Let’s take a closer look at each of these below.

Tooth Sensitivity

Like braces, you will likely experience mild discomfort while wearing Invisalign. When you begin treatment or as you change clear aligners, your teeth must move and adapt to the new position.

Some patients also experience discomfort because the aligners wear at different parts of the mouth (the tongue, gums, cheeks, etc.). You should discuss options on how to stop your Invisalign from rubbing or how to ease the pain with Dr. McClaran.

During of Wearing Time

Discoloration of Trays

Brush Your Teeth Regularly

One of the best ways to avoid aligner discoloration is to brush your teeth as much as possible. Every time you eat anything, even if it’s a snack, clean your teeth.

Neglecting this step could lead to tooth decay, gum disease, and cavities. Your Invisalign tray will press any leftover food against your teeth and gums, creating an opportunity for excess sugars, bacteria, etc. to fester in the aligners.

Losing Aligners

Superior Orthodontic Care In Nolensville, TN | McClaran Orthodontics

Though clear aligners may sound daunting after reading about these common aligner problems, millions of patients have achieved a straighter and more beautiful smile with this treatment.

With proper care and commitment to treatment, Dr. McClaran and her staff can guarantee that clear aligners will help you achieve the smile you’ve always wanted. For more information on McClaran aligners, visit our clear aligner page or contact us today!