5 Easy Ways To Prevent An Orthodontic Emergency

Your smile makes all the difference. Seeing an orthodontic doctor is an investment in achieving a healthier and more beautiful smile. However, you do not want an emergency that creates pain during the treatment. Most orthodontic emergencies could be avoided or easily managed within the comfort of your home with care and foresight.
Here are five orthodontic emergency tips that will help you maintain your smile’s progress with braces or aligners while avoiding unnecessary complications bound to disturb an otherwise smooth and easy treatment program.

1. Follow Your Orthodontist’s Instructions

Your orthodontist will give you guidelines to keep your treatment on track and prevent damage to braces or aligners. This can lead to complications requiring urgent care from a Victoria Dentist TX.
This was your answer. Do you remember putting your aligners on for all the hours it is suggested, or avoiding breaking foods when you have braces? Simple instructions can go a long way toward preventing emergencies for orthodontic purposes.

2. Steer Clear of Hard and Sticky Foods

Eating is a necessary factor to adhere to in maintaining your braces or aligners and to avoid an orthodontic emergency. The foods mentioned above can crack brackets, warp wires, and sticks, all of which are painful, followed by an unforeseen visit to repair them. For purposes of treatment completion, it is advisable to steer clear of the following:

• Hard candy, ice, and nuts put too much force on the braces, leading to the brackets breaking or the wires bending.
• The stickiest foods such as caramel, chewing gum, and gummy candies stick to your braces and are hard to remove.
• Crunchy foods such as popcorn, chips, and pretzels are prone to sticking in braces, thus, turning out to be one of the primary causes, which can damage or break them.

Good diet management will prevent orthodontic disasters and unplanned visits to the Victoria Dental Office TX for fixation!

3. Practice Good Oral Hygiene

Correct care of the gums, orthodontic appliance, or teeth is critical in avoiding infections, cavities, dental issues, and painful orthodontic emergencies. Incorrect oral hygiene that results in gum inflammation, plaque formation, and even destruction of brackets or wires will undermine the patient’s treatment progress.

Simple Oral Hygiene guidelines to ensure a functional smile remains silky:

• After each meal, brush with a soft-bristled toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste to remove food and plaque between braces and aligners.
• Floss once a day using orthodontic floss threaders or a water flosser with the same purpose: keep your teeth and brackets clean.
• To rinse with an antibacterial mouthwash: prevention of plaque buildup by avoiding gum infection.

Maintaining a regular and thorough oral hygiene routine will guard your teeth, and gums, and keep a clear path towards the completion of your treatment.

4. Wear a Mouthguard During Sports

Are you a sports enthusiast, one who indulges in other physical activities? Above all else, your braces and teeth should be carefully protected from sudden falls and abrupt oral injuries. For instance, sudden impacts and accidental falls can harm orthodontic appliances and cause oral injury, such as a broken tooth.

It seems to be the simplest of all orientations to prevent orthodontic emergencies: wearing a mouth guard. A custom-fit mouth guard from any Victoria Dentist, TX, should suffice to give the most excellent protection levels while ensuring proper comfort. It keeps braces or aligners intact while caring for your teeth and gums.

Accidents happen even in non-contact sports like basketball, gymnastics, or biking. This little but crucial safeguard shall help free you from painful injuries, expensive reconstructive measures, and perhaps needless delays in treatment, ensuring that your teeth’s orthodontic journey is not interrupted.

5. Address Minor Issues Before They Escalate

Any slight disturbance, irritation, or strange feeling in your mouth might be the early signs of the onset of an orthodontic problem. Instead of ignoring the problem, it is wise to take quick action against it. Such actions would save one from complex and severe complications in the future, more suffering, and delaying the undertaking of one’s treatment.

Signs to Look Out For:

• Loose brackets or bands that could shift or come off from the tooth.
• Protruding wires or wires poking the inside of your mouth that might irritate your cheeks or gums.
• Soreness or pain that lasts more than the usual time after an adjustment.

Quick Tricks to Bring Relief:

• Orthodontic wax to apply on hidden sharp or poking wires to reduce the irritation produced.
• Gently push wires back in with a clean cotton swab or pencil tip.
• Rinsing with warm salt water will ease tender areas and alleviate swelling.

Otherwise, making an appointment at a Victoria Dental Office TX is the best call. Early attention to small orthodontic problems might save your appliances a lot of pain and damage. It could also keep your treatment progress going more smoothly.

Conclusion

It is easier to prevent orthodontic emergencies than to treat them. With these orthodontic emergency tips, you can avoid unnecessary discomfort. It can help you maintain the valuable progress of your treatment. A typical visit to a Victoria Dentist TX with your active cooperation and proper care applied towards your braces or aligners would yield great results to your smile.

Be Sure to Schedule Your Orthodontic Appointment Today!
Do you need specialist service for your braces or aligners? Victoria Dental Office TX offers quality orthodontic solutions. Call now to set an appointment and continue in good standing with your orthodontic treatment!