True orthodontic emergencies are very rare, but when they do occur we are available. As a general rule, you should call the office when you experience significant pain or when you have an appliance problem that you can't take care of yourself.

If at all possible, call first before coming to the office. If you do that, we will try hard to schedule the emergency appointment with enough time to also do your next routine appointment, thereby saving you the added trip.

We know that half our patients are from out of town. Sometimes it is easier to try and fix the problem yourself rather than to make a long car trip into the office. Again, we are always happy to see you but the solutions listed below might be an option for you.

When working with your appliances, you need to know the names of the parts of your appliances so you are able to identify what part is broken or out of place. After alleviating your discomfort, it is very important that you still call our office as soon as possible to schedule a time to repair the problem. Allowing your appliance to remain damaged for an extended period of time may result in disruptions in your treatment plan causing you to wear braces longer.

The following solutions may help you relieve your discomfort:

Poking Wire

Using a pencil eraser, push the poking wire down or place wax on it to alleviate the discomfort.

Loose Bracket or Band

If your bracket or band is still attached to the wire, you should leave it in place and put wax on it. If the band or brace comes out entirely, wrap the bracket with a tissue and bring it with you to your appointment.

Loose Wire

Using tweezers, try to place your wire back into place. If doing this and using wax doesn't help, as a last resort use a small fingernail clipper to clip the wire behind the last tooth to which it is securely fastened. If your discomfort continues, place wax on it.

Loose Appliance

If your appliance is poking you, place wax on the offending part of your appliance.

Evening and Weekend Coverage

If you need to contact us on a weekend or an evening, please call either the office number or 877-235-1791. The voice prompts will then guide you to a real, live person who will gather your information and notify Dr. Ruff by text message.  He will then call you directly.

General Soreness

When you get your braces on, you may feel general soreness in your mouth and teeth may be tender to biting pressures for three to five days. This can be relieved by rinsing your mouth with a warm salt water. Dissolve one teaspoonful of salt in 8 ounces of warm water and rinse your mouth vigorously. If the tenderness is severe, take Tylenol or whatever you normally take for headache or similar pain.

Some patients that have a low tolerance for the discomfort that occurs after appliance adjustments might want to take 2 Tylenol or Advil one hour before  appointments and then fours hours after appointments.  This will help a great deal in preventing general discomfort or soreness.