A few helpful hints:

Check your braces routinely for anything loose, bent, or sharp. If a bracket or band comes loose, please call our office so that we can arrange an appointment to repair it as quickly as possible. If you run out of rubber bands, call us so we can either mail you some or drop by the office and we’ll have some ready.

Wire Problems

If a wire causes irritation, push the wire away from the area using the eraser end of a pencil or a Q-Tip. If the wire cannot be tucked away, cover the end of the wire with a small piece of wax, a cotton ball, or a piece of sugarless gum until you can see Dr. Cox for an adjustment. If these attempts do not help, please call our office for an emergency phone number.

If the main wire has come out of the tube on your back tooth, try to reinsert the wire with a pair of needle-nosed pliers or tweezers. If the wire is not sticking you, just leave it alone until you can be seen at the office. If the wire is sticking you and wax does not help, call our office for an emergency phone number.

Spacer Problems

Should a blue rubber spacer fall out, take two pieces of dental floss and insert them through the spacer. Pull-on both pieces of floss to stretch the spacer, then slide the spacer back and forth between the two teeth where it belongs. Once the bottom half of the spacer slips under the tight spot between the teeth, release and remove the floss and the spacer will fit back properly.