Occasionally, some patients will experience an injury to the mouth during treatment. Dental emergencies while wearing braces or other orthodontic appliances generally fall into two categories.
Direct Injuries to the Mouth and Teeth
Following a direct injury to your mouth or teeth, whether undergoing orthodontic care or not, immediately ice the injured area and you should contact your regular dentist as soon as possible. Usually an x-ray of the involved tooth or teeth is needed to determine the extent of injury. If a tooth has been displaced, knocked out, or fractured, it is best to contact your family dentist first, since we may not have the necessary materials or anesthesia required to treat these injuries. If the appliances are dislodged or displaced, we will need to replace or adjust the appliances as soon as possible, after you have seen your general dentist, depending upon the comfort level of the patient.
Emergencies Related to Orthodontic Appliances
Sometimes, appliances might be broken or bent during your orthodontic care. If there are any disturbances, such as loose bands, loose brackets, broken or poking wires, please call our office for an appointment during patient hours. For your convenience and the convenience of scheduled patients, it is not possible to handle emergencies on a walk in basis. In the meantime, here are some helpful hints to remedy some of the problems you may encounter until our office can see you
- If a tie wire is irritating your mouth, cover it with bees wax or tuck it under the arch wire with a blunt object like a pencil eraser or Q-tip.
- A loose band or bracket can generally be left in place until seen in our office. Call Rad Orthodontics, during patient hours, when you notice a loose band or bracket. We will schedule you to reattach the loose appliance, if indicated.
- A broken or poking archwire can often be bent in with a pencil eraser or cut with nail clippers. Call our office, during patient hours, if you do not feel the problem has been resolved properly.
- Watch the video below that explains how to handle an orthodontic emergency.
Rad Orthodontics Reviews
The Potomac Orthodontist Office Is TRULY The Best!! The Staff Goes Above And Beyond There Duties Making Your Experience Very Comfortable.Dr Rad Is Exceptionally In His Craft. He Makes You Feel Like Family And No Questions Are Never To Big Or Little To Get A Positive Answer đź’Ż I've Had Braces On Twice Before And Had The Worst Out Come. Coming To Dr Rad For Braces The Three Time Was The Best Choice I Will Be Referring My Family And Friends.
I just got my braces off this past Monday so this review encompasses my experience from the past 18 months.For the past year and a half, I have come in about every 6 weeks and I honestly don’t think I have had any negative experiences to note. All of the staff have been nothing but friendly and professional, especially the front desk staff. The techs and orthodontists (I have been seen by both Dr. Rad and Dr. Le) are always prepared. Either their memory is impeccable or their documentation is very thorough because I always feel like I am coming in where we left off. They also have very convenient locations for anyone living in the Rockville/Bethesda area and I love that even though I started my treatment at one location, the move to another location was pretty seamless. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but once all of my retainer follow ups are complete, I think I’ll actually miss going into the office.Overall, I highly recommend this practice. The orthodontists, techs, and other staff are top tier. If you are considering this practice for your child’s orthodontic needs, I can attest that they are also good with children just by witnessing some of the interactions around me during my appointments.Finally, just wanted to note that my appointments were always pretty quick after getting my braces on but they didn’t feel rushed. I was almost always seen on time as well.
always great service and care.
By far the best experience
Drs Mehdi and David Rad are very thorough and professional. Brea, dental assistant was excellent as well.Thank you for your excellent work
586
Total Reviews
5
Star Average Rating
Managing Pain Or Discomfort During Treatment
Our doctors are available if you need us outside of our regular work hours. Simply call the office to get the contact information for the doctor on call. We’re happy to help!
After you get your braces or other appliance, your lips, cheeks, and tongue can become irritated for one to two weeks. This is common, and happens as they learn a new posture and become accustomed to the raised surface of the braces. The best way to manage this is to put wax on the braces that are causing irritation. When you get your braces on, the team at Rad Orthodontics will make sure you have wax and know how to apply it.
If the tenderness is severe, you can take Acetaminophen (Tylenol) or whatever you normally take for headache or similar pain. Keep in mind that pain management and anti-inflammatory medicines such as Aspirin, Ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil), and Naproxen Sodium (Naprosyn, Anaprox) actually slow tooth movement, so we do not recommend using them often during your treatment.
Even if you are able to alleviate your discomfort, it is vital that you call our office as soon as possible to schedule a time to repair the problem. It is important for our trained staff to check the appliance or brackets to make sure it is still working the way it is supposed to. Allowing your appliance to remain damaged for an extended period of time may result in disruptions to your treatment plan.
After-Hours Support
You’ll be happy to know that due to the thoroughness of our comprehensive examinations, our patients experience very few emergencies. True orthodontic emergencies are rare, but in cases when they occur, we are accessible to you 24/7. We hope you never experience a dental emergency, but if you do, we want you to know we are always available.
As a general rule, you should call the office when you experience pain or have a painful appliance problem you can’t take care of yourself. We’ll be able to schedule an appointment to solve the problem.
You might be surprised to learn you can often solve many problems temporarily and keep yourself comfortable until you can get to our office.
We will also explain these techniques during your appointments, as appropriate. 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 to your treatment plan.
If an emergency occurs after hours, we can be reached 24 hours a day. Dr. Mehdy Rad, Dr. David Rad, and Dr. Tri Lee can be reached through our office telephone numbers: 301-345-7710 (College Park), 301-299-3993 (Potomac), 301-515-8500 (Germantown), or 301-656-1600 (Bethesda).
