Orthodontic Emergencies in Portland

Hello Portland! Worried about a wiggly bracket? Are you wondering if you should contact your orthodontist about that poking wire? We’ve got you covered!

Here at Hillsdale Orthodontics, we provide our patients with signature smiles powered by excellence. That means we stay with you all throughout your treatment and help you when you need us most.

Our patients know they’ll get the care they require when in need of Portland orthodontics emergency services. Our team of professionals knows how alarming these situations can be and will do everything they can to help you out.

Keep in mind you can always give us a call to confirm what you should be doing or just to verify whether or not you should seek additional help. Yes, our team is here for you!

What Is an Orthodontic Emergency?

These situations are a bit different from regular dental emergencies. Orthodontic emergencies can include loose brackets, broken wires, lost aligner trays, discomforting sensations as you receive adjustments for your orthodontic appliance, and more.

However, it’s even more important to define what an emergency orthodontist in Portland would not provide treatment for.

You’ll see, orthodontists consider the situations listed above as dangerous for your treatment, but none of them could receive a categorization as a life-threatening situation.

You can always get appropriate help from our team when you need it, but if you’re facing a potentially life-threatening situation, you should immediately go to an ER and receive primary care before coming back to the orthodontist.

Our number one priority is you, so we won’t get in the way of your healthcare just to ensure that all is going according to your ortho treatment schedule. If we categorize your symptoms and notice there’s a situation that requires additional help from emergency services, we’ll let you know.

Food Caught in Teeth

Fortunately not at all a life-threatening emergency. Sure enough, it’s a really uncomfortable situation, but you could remove any food debris with a bit of dental floss or an interdental brush. However, pay close attention as food caught between teeth is usually a reason why people suffer from other circumstances that do require help from an emergency orthodontist in Portland.

Broken Ligature

We’re talking strictly about traditional braces here. We use tiny rubber bands to secure the archwire onto the bracket that’s bonded to your teeth. If one ligature pops off, you can try using tweezers to put it back in place. Let your orthodontist know and check with them if you need to replace the ligatures.

Poking Wire

The archwire we use to move your teeth around can come out of place and poke the inside of your cheeks. As bothersome as this can be, there are some quick fixes you can use before you come to the office. Try using any blunt object to push the wire back in its place, such as a Q-tip or pencil eraser.

An Emergency Orthodontist in Portland for You

Dr. Leemin and Dr. Handick both equally love helping their patients achieve the best possible versions of their smiles.

What’s great about this is we do not tire of answering our patient’s questions about what they should do to avoid panicking during an orthodontic emergency. So many patients from other practices worry they’re just bothering their orthodontist by checking how to get treatment.

Thankfully, we don’t think that’s the right approach. Patients shouldn’t have to know how to solve everything before they start their treatment. Here at Hillsdale Orthodontics, we make ourselves available to help you out.

We don’t fear loose brackets, poking wires, or mouth sores caused by your braces. We know how to solve that, and we can even tell you a few tricks about what you can do back home to get everything under control.

You know what? Now seems like a good moment to remind our patients that we have a blog post about getting the help you need during a Portland orthodontics emergency.

Frequently Asked Questions

An orthodontic emergency is an accident that endangers the integrity of your orthodontic appliance, causes you discomfort, or could cause an unwanted delay in the completion of your specialized treatment. Please keep in mind that orthodontic emergencies are not life-threatening, so you should know which situations will require emergency services to act appropriately.

Some of the most common situations we can consider an orthodontic emergency include loose brackets, poking wires, and lost aligners or lost retainers. Anything else that’s related to considerable pain, swelling, or bleeding should be considered a true dental emergency that requires attention in an ER.

Once you’ve determined you’re experiencing an orthodontic emergency, you should get in touch with your orthodontist to schedule an appointment that will solve the situation. In the meantime, there are several DIY solutions you can try at home, depending on the specifics of your emergency.

You should keep handy some orthodontic wax, as this will help keep most things in place and prevent the formation of mouth sores. Likewise, you should know how to manipulate your braces with a blunt object in case something slides off. Always ask your orthodontist beforehand how to solve orthodontic emergencies, and keep our tips handy.

Yes. A broken wire can cause delays in your treatment’s completion and could cause discomfort or a minor wound in your mouth. Please let your orthodontist know as soon as possible that you have a problem with your braces’ wire and get a solution that will restore your treatment’s efficiency.

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