True orthodontic emergencies are very rare, but when they do occur, we are available to you. As a general rule, you should call the office when you experience severe pain or when you have a painful appliance problem that you can’t take care of yourself. We’ll be able to schedule an appointment to resolve the problem.

You might be surprised to learn that you you may be able to temporarily solve many problems yourself until you schedule an appointment with our office. 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 disruption to your treatment plan.

 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 wire comes out entirely, remove the loose bracket from the mouth.

POKING  WIRE

Using a pencil eraser, push the poking wire down or place wax on it to alleviate the discomfort, or if a wire is long you can carefully remove the segment by utilising nail clippers.

LOOSE WIRE

Using a tweezer, try to put the wire back into place. If doing this and using wax doesn’t help, as a last resort use a small nail 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.

HEADGEAR DOES NOT FIT

Sometimes headgear discomfort is caused by not wearing the headgear as instructed by your orthodontist. Please refer to the instructions provided by your orthodontist. If the facebow is bent, please call our office for assistance. Surprisingly, the headgear may hurt less as it’s worn more, so be sure you’re getting in the prescribed hours.

HERBST or CANTILEVERED BITE JUMPER (CBJ)

Herbst/CBJ emergencies are rare, but when they do occur, it is usually related to one of two things:

1.  Loose frame – usually this would involve a stainless steel crown which is no longer cemented  to the molar tooth.  As the appliance is custom made, the stainless steel crowns fit very snugly around the crown of the molar tooth.  Should the frame be mobile, refit the frame on the appropriate tooth and it should stabilise the appliance temporarily.  Don’t eat chewy or sticky  foods until the appliance is recemented.

2. Loose arms – this can be reattached by screwing the loose arm portion back to the appropriate part of the frame.  You should have been supplied with a small Allan key to enable this.  If you do not have the Allan key, one can be purchased from a hardware store such as Bunnings.  The screw itself is housed within the end of the arm and cannot fall out.

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 saltwater mouthwash. Dissolve one teaspoonful of salt in 250ml of warm water, and rinse your mouth vigorously. Placing Bonjella or Orabase on the affected area may help; this can be found in a pharmacy. If the tenderness is severe, take whatever you normally take for headache or similar pain.

The lips, cheeks and tongue may also become irritated for one to two weeks as they toughen and become accustomed to the surface of the braces. You can put wax on the braces to lessen this. We’ll show you how!

 

At the first appointment we undertake a full examination of your face, teeth and jaws. We will ascertain your specific concerns and then, if necessary, we will take some diagnostic records that include photographs and xrays, as well as plaster models if necessary.
We will then give you an idea of the treatment required and a brief outline of what is involved, including treatment time and the costs involved.

Orthodontists specialise in correcting problems relating to the arrangement of the teeth and jaws. You do not need a referral to see an orthodontist, however we will refer you back to your family dentist whenever necessary.

These days, with regular dental care, teeth should last a person’s lifetime. Crooked teeth and jaws can interfere with jaw function and speech, and lead to long term dental problems such as tooth wear and gum damage. Orthodontic treatment can help fix these problems. An attractive smile can also boost self esteem.

We will collect photographs of your face, teeth and bite, moulds of your teeth if necessary, and radiographs of your head, jaws and teeth. These are thoroughly analysed and an individualised treatment plan is formulated.

An orthodontist is a specialist dentist who has completed a 3 year full time specialist training course at a University, after their 5 years of dental training. They must be registered as specialists with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency.  Orthodontists have undergone in-depth training to learn the skills necessary to manage the complexities of tooth movement and facial development guidance.

People of all ages, even adults, can have orthodontic treatment. The ideal time to commence treatment will depend on your individual problem.  Some forms of treatment are best started when some baby teeth are still present, while other treatments require all permanent teeth be present. We suggest the age of 7-9 is an appropriate time for a child’s first orthodontic assessment. Coming at an early age will enable us to optimise all opportunities to get the most from all treatment available. Early treatment can sometimes be carried out to simplify later treatment, prevent the extraction of permanent teeth, or even prevent the development of problems that may require surgery to correct.

Our staff will give thorough oral hygiene instruction for all the different appliances. We continually assess and monitor the oral hygiene and care of appliances as they are worn by patients and continue to give oral hygiene advice throughout treatment.  Ongoing good oral hygiene is vital during orthodontic treatment.