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Emergency Orthodontist — Huntington, NY

Broken Bracket? Oral Pain? We Can Help!

A woman rubbing her cheek during an emergency orthodontic visit

Orthodontic emergencies can strike when your family is least expecting it, resulting in sudden panic and discomfort. Thankfully, Dr. Justyna and the rest of our team members are here to help when patients need us most. We work hard to accommodate urgent situations as soon as possible in our schedule; in many cases, treatment can even be provided on the same day as your initial call. Don’t hesitate – contact us today in Huntington, NY!

Why Choose Huntington Orthodontics for Emergency Orthodontic Care?

  • Same-Day Emergency Appointments Available
  • Highly-Experienced Orthodontist with Board Certification
  • Strong Emphasis on Patient Comfort

What to Do in an Orthodontic Emergency

A teen rubbing his cheek due to an orthodontic emergency

When facing an orthodontic emergency, you mustn’t panic. Doing so won’t help the situation. Instead, make sure to follow the steps below:

  • Call Our Office: Most orthodontic emergencies aren’t too alarming. Often enough, our staff can walk you through a solution over the phone. This answer might include dental wax, rinsing with salt water, wearing new clear aligners, taking over-the-counter pain relievers, etc. So, if you’re unsure how to resolve the issue, call us!
  • See Us for a Visit: Of course, your issue may not be fixable over the phone. You’ll want to book a visit with us should that happen. Depending on your emergency’s severity, we may even be able to see you the same day that you call.
  • Get Needed Care: You can trust our office to address orthodontic emergencies quickly, easily, and affordably. That said, you may need a follow-up visit if new appliance parts are required. Similarly, we may refer you to a dentist if the orthodontic issue stems from an oral health problem. If your jaw has been broken or dislocated, please go directly to your local ER.

The Most Common Orthodontic Emergencies

While orthodontic emergencies don’t occur often, they can nonetheless be serious. As such, you should seek help if you’re in pain or concerned. Wearing damaged braces or aligners could negatively impact your treatment. Luckily, our office can treat many of the most common orthodontic problems.

Understanding the Cost of Orthodontic Emergencies 

A patient calculating the cost of treating an orthodontic emergency

You may worry about the cost of orthodontic emergencies, especially if you’re insurance is limited. However, the truth is that their price varies by the patient; you’ll need to see Dr. Balicka for an exact estimate. Fortunately enough, though, our office will ensure your care is affordable. In particular, we’ll walk you through factors impacting treatment costs and our financing options.

Keys to Preventing Orthodontic Emergencies

A smiling woman wearing braces

Fortunately, orthodontic emergencies are relatively rare. That said, the ones that do arise can be painful to experience, stressful to handle, and cause you to fall off-track with your treatment plan. That’s why it’s so important to do what you can to prevent them, like:

Keep Up with Your Orthodontic Checkups

Woman smiling during orthodontic checkup

    Your orthodontic checkups are important for several reasons, starting with the fact that they ensure you stay on-track with your treatment plan. They also allow Dr. Justyna to periodically examine the condition of your braces and fix anything that’s out of place, like a loose attachment or wire. If you start to experience considerable pain following the placement or adjustments of your braces, call us ASAP to schedule an emergency exam.

    Practice Good Oral Hygiene Habits At Home

    Man smiling while brushing his teeth

    Remember, orthodontic emergencies in Huntington aren’t limited to broken brackets and loose wires. The development of a cavity, gum disease, or another oral health problem will bring your orthodontic treatment to a temporary stop as well. So, make sure you’re practicing good oral hygiene habits, especially during your teeth-straightening journey when it’s very easy for food to get stuck between teeth.

    Tip: If you or your child is having trouble maintaining a healthy smile, don’t hesitate to let us know! Our team would be happy to demonstrate some very effective flossing and brushing techniques.

    Be Careful With Your Diet

    Woman enjoying slice of pizza in restaurant

    Whether you have traditional braces, Invisalign, or clear braces, it’s important that you exercise a great deal of caution when enjoying foods that are on the crunchy side. After all, eating foods like hard pretzels, whole apples, and peanut butter-filled candies may not seem like a big deal, but they actually have the potential to badly damage or even warp the components of your braces.

    Protect Your Pearly Whites with a Mouthguard

    Group of woman smiling while jogging together

    While orthodontic treatment won’t prevent you from staying active, there are certain precautions you need to take to protect your teeth, your gums, and your braces, including wearing a mouthguard. If you don’t have one or the one you have doesn’t fit over your brackets and wires, let us know! We can have a custom one made so it fits comfortably over your braces while also providing the protection necessary.

    Remember: Your Teeth Aren’t Tools!

    Patient with braces smiling at orthodontist in treatment chair

    Do you bite your nails? Do you sometimes use your teeth as tools to open things? Do you chew on ice cubes? Even seemingly harmless habits like these dramatically increase your risk of both a dental and orthodontic emergency. So, if you answered “yes” to any of these questions, then it’s important to put a plan in place to quit!

Orthodontic Emergency FAQs

A young woman pointing to her smile

When it comes to a dental emergency, it can be stressful. But throw in metal brackets and wires, and you might find that you are in full panic mode. Before you rush off to the emergency room, stop and take a few minutes to collect yourself and notify your emergency orthodontist at Huntington Orthodontics. Our team of professionals are equipped to walk you through these types of situations and will work to get you in as soon as possible. In the meantime, allow us to provide you with some of the most commonly asked questions about orthodontic emergencies. Hopefully, the answers will help to put you at ease and better prepare you should a crisis occur.

What Constitutes an Orthodontic Emergency?

Anytime you have facial trauma or injury to your mouth, teeth, and face, it is imperative that you contact our office as soon as possible. Even if your braces are still intact, there could be an underlying issue occurring that only x-rays or a trained eye can see. It’s always better to err on the side of caution and let an emergency orthodontist examine your mouth to ensure there is no lasting damage.

What Can Happen if I Avoid Emergency Care?

If you sustain an injury to your mouth but assume it is nothing to seek professional help for, you could put yourself at risk for delaying your treatment. Just because nothing is broken doesn’t mean there isn’t a problem. A wire could be bent, or a bracket may be loosened. No matter what, choosing to avoid emergency care will do nothing but negatively impact the timeframe in which you will have a healthier, more beautiful smile.

What Happens If I Lose My Retainer?

Replacing a retainer can be costly, so it is important to keep it in a protective case. Pets love to chew on things that are laying around, so make sure it is put away when not in your mouth. Also, never wrap your retainer up in a napkin while out to eat. The chances of you accidentally throwing it away are great, so instead, bring along your case and keep it protected while you are eating. If you lose your retainer, you will need to call us as soon as possible so that we can get a replacement order. Otherwise, this can result in your teeth shifting back into their original position.

What Should I Do If My Headgear Becomes Bent?

Headgear is naturally not the most comfortable appliance to wear, but it is important that you wear it if the orthodontist recommends it. Should the facebow become bent at any point, make sure to contact our office. We will be able to assist in fixing the problem whether it is order headgear or fixing it in-house. You should know that the longer you wear it, the less it hurts, so make sure you’re wearing it for the allotted amount of time you are instructed to do so.

If I’m Traveling and an Emergency Occurs, What Should I Do?

Emergencies don’t just happen when you’re minutes away from your orthodontist, so if you’re traveling, make sure to google “orthodontist near me” should a problem arise. If it does, get to their office for immediate treatment but make sure to call and alert us to the situation. Once you return, we will likely want to examine your braces to ensure no further treatment is necessary.

More to Explore

Traditional Braces Phase I Pediatric Orthodontics Invisalign Orthodontic Appliances Dentofacial Orthopedics View Our Services

Toothaches

Is a toothache an emergency? Some mild soreness or discomfort is typical during orthodontic treatment. This is especially the case during the first few days after receiving your braces, getting them adjusted, or changing to a new set of aligners. However, you may want to schedule an emergency dental visit if you begin to feel one or more of the following symptoms:

  • Worsening or persistent tooth discomfort
  • Sharp or severe pain when biting down
  • Lingering sensitivity
  • Increasingly discolored tooth

How you should handle a toothache: If your toothache doesn’t dissipate within a few days, you should reach out to our office for an emergency appointment. We’ll thoroughly assess your situation to detect the root of the issue and determine the proper steps to get you back to a comfortable smile. In many cases, we might recommend that you visit your regular dentist for help. While you wait, be sure to take over-the-counter pain relievers and/or use a cold compress to alleviate discomfort. Drink cold water to help minimize the aching and rinse with saltwater to eliminate bacteria.

Loose Bracket or Wire

Is a loose bracket or wire an emergency? A loose bracket or wire may not be painful or life-threatening, but you don’t want to leave it unaddressed for too long. After all, they’re necessary for moving your pearly whites into their ideal positions. The sooner you can get your bracket/wire fixed, the quicker you can resume your orthodontic process. Call our team and schedule a visit as soon as possible.

How you should handle a loose bracket or wire: You should try keeping the loose wire or bracket in place with orthodontic wax. Also, try not to make it worse by moving it around with your finger or tongue. Once you arrive at our office, we’ll be able to easily reattach and/or readjust your bracket/wire in no time.

Broken Bracket or Wire

Is a broken bracket or wire an emergency? Having a broken wire or bracket will require an emergency visit. Not only will your orthodontist need to get you back on track with your process, but the metal wires can end up poking or harming your soft oral tissues. Don’t try fixing it on your own as you might accidentally make matters worse for you. Call our team right away so we can help.

How you should handle a broken bracket or wire: Gather any pieces that fell off so you can bring them with you to our office. If you notice any jagged or sharp areas that can potentially hurt you, try covering them up with orthodontic wax or even sugar-free gum. These can keep your gums, cheeks, and tongue safe until we can resolve the issue.

Protruding/Poking Wire

Is a poking or protruding wire an emergency? If you have a wire that is poking you uncomfortably, this can cause irritation to the soft tissues in your mouth. You could even develop an infection of the soft tissues. Give us a call so we can resolve this.

How you should handle a poking or protruding wire: Using a cotton swab, try to gently move the protruding wire back into place. You could also apply some orthodontic wax or sugarless gum over the wire to keep it from poking you. We can help you put it back into place when you visit us.

Mouth Sores or Irritation

Are mouth sores or irritation an emergency? It is common to experience some mouth sores when you first get braces. Your soft tissues need time to adjust to the presence of brackets and wires. After a few weeks, they should heal and become more comfortable.

How you should handle mouth sores or irritation: If the sores in your mouth aren’t improving or the discomfort is worsening, give us a call. We can take a look and take steps to relieve your discomfort.

Broken Ligature

Is a broken ligature an emergency? If you wear ligatures (or rubber bands) it is usually easy to put them back on when they fall off. Your elastics play an important role in keeping your wires in place, so you should let us know as soon as you notice that it’s broken.

How you should handle a broken ligature: If a ligature falls off, there is no reason to panic. Use a pair of tweezers to reattach it. However, if it snaps entirely, you should give us a call. This way, we can resolve the issue before any others break off. Until you see us, cover any sharp areas with dental wax to protect your soft tissues from irritation.

Cut Lips, Cheeks, or Tongue

Is a cut lip, cheek, or tongue an emergency? If you get hit in the face, your braces can cut your soft tissues. These cuts may bleed, but they aren’t usually a dental emergency. For larger cuts, we can stitch them closed if needed. If the bleeding hasn’t subsided after applying pressure, you should seek help from your local emergency room.

How you should handle a cut lip, cheek, or tongue: Carefully clean the area with a clean, wet washcloth or by rinsing your mouth with water. Apply pressure to stop the bleeding and use an over-the-counter pain reliever and cold compress to manage any discomfort.

Injury to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue

Is an Injury to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue a Dental Emergency?

Fortunately, soft tissue injuries rarely require a same-day visit. There is an exception, however: if the bleeding hasn’t stopped after 10 minutes of applying pressure. If that’s the case, then you need to seek medical attention at your local ER.

How You Should Handle an Injury to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue

Handling a soft tissue injury properly comes down to two crucial steps: rinsing the wound with clean water and applying pressure with a damp washcloth or piece of gauze. If the area around the cut is swollen, then we recommend placing a cold compress or towel-wrapped icepack against it as well.

How We Treat Injuries to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue

Although these injuries rarely require treatment from our Dallas dental team, that doesn’t mean that we aren’t here to answer any questions you have. You’re more than welcome to give us a call if you’re unsure how to handle a dental injury or if yours requires a visit to the ER.

Jaw Pain

Is Jaw Pain a Dental Emergency?

Jaw pain may not seem like much of an issue at first, but over time it can make chewing, sleeping, and even concentrating difficult. That’s why we recommend scheduling an appointment sooner rather than later. Although a same-day visit may not be necessary, we’d rather pinpoint and treat the root of the problem before it negatively impacts your quality of life.

How You Should Handle Jaw Pain

In addition to scheduling an appointment with our Dallas dentist, we recommend that our patients place a cold compress against their jaw to alleviate swelling, avoid extremely crunchy foods to not exacerbate the issue, and take an over-the-counter pain reliever to minimize discomfort.

How We Treat Jaw Pain

Oftentimes, jaw pain boils down to two problems: impacted wisdom teeth and chronic teeth grinding. If it’s the former, then your third set of molars will need to be extracted to provide you with long-lasting relief. If it’s the latter, then we can give you a custom mouthguard to protect your teeth and alleviate pressure from your jaw.

Something Stuck Between the Teeth  

Is Having Something Stuck Between the Teeth an Emergency? Whether you have traditional braces or Invisalign, you may find that food particles are getting stuck between your teeth more often. This is completely normal since your teeth are moving into new positions, creating new crevices and spaces in the process. With all of that said, this situation can usually be handled from home and, therefore, is not considered an orthodontic emergency.

How You Should Handle Something Stuck Between the Teeth First, dissolve some salt in warm water and rinse the mixture in your mouth for 30 seconds at a time (making sure not to swallow it). Then, grab your floss of choice, like pre-threaded floss or a water flosser, and gently clean between your teeth. If you don’t have any luck with these two steps, don’t use a toothpick or tweezers. Instead, give our Huntington orthodontist a call and explain what happened.

Broken/Lost Aligner or Retainer  

Is a Broken/Lost Aligner or Retainer an Emergency? Yes, a broken retainer, lost aligner, or any combination of the two warrants an immediate call to our Huntington dental office. Remember, both of these situations can negatively affect the alignment of your teeth. So, it’s important that you get an appointment with us on the calendar so we can get to work on having a new one made!

How You Should Handle a Broken or Lost Aligner/Retainer Let’s start with what you shouldn’t do, like trying to repair a broken aligner with superglue. Remember, the toxins found in household adhesives like this are not safe to ingest! Across the board, the best thing to do is call our office and wear your backup retainers (or most recent set of aligners) until your appointment.

Loose Teeth  

Are Loose Teeth an Emergency? If your teeth are slightly loose, don’t panic. After all, your teeth are moving into entirely new positions, and it takes some time for them to “settle” into their new spots. With that said, this is absolutely a dental emergency if one or more of your teeth feel like they are on the brink of falling out.

How You Should Handle Loose Teeth Typically, sticking to soft foods like oatmeal, scrambled eggs, plain yogurt, and cooked vegetables can help. As we mentioned above, if your teeth feel like they are loose enough that they could fall out, then you need to contact our Huntington orthodontist ASAP. That way, Dr. Justyna can determine the root of the problem and if any additional care is necessary.