Emergencies

Listed here are some of the more common problems and some possible solutions to deal with the situation on a temporary basis until you can get in touch with us for an emergency appointment.

Please call (07) 3376 2651 or email info@brisbanebraces.com.au to book an emergency appointment.

After hours help:

Orthodontic pain or discomfort
It is very normal to experience discomfort or aching teeth during and/or after your orthodontic treatment. This will typically disappear within days. Fortunately, there are many ways to reduce discomfort as listed below. If you know you have sensitive teeth, it would be a good idea to take some simple pain medication such as paracetamol or ibuprofen before you come into your appointment.
Mouth sores
Having braces in your mouth can be irritating to your lips and cheeks as they rub against them. This can cause ulcers. A salt water rinse can assist with mouth ulcers. Additionally, placing the orthodontic wax provided to you on the braces is perfect for protecting your gums from the metal edges of braces and can prevent further rubbing.

If you’re finding that the salt water rinses aren’t helping, you can purchase a topical anesthetic gel, such as Bonjela, from your local chemist.

Poking wire
As your braces are adjusted, wires can move as the teeth move and cause irritation to your lips and cheeks. Simply call our office to book an appointment to have wire trimmed/ moved back into place. In the meantime, you can place wax on the wire where it is irritating to provide relief.
Swollen / Irritated gums

You may notice your gums swelling and/ or becoming irritated during your Orthodontic treatment. This can be normal and is normally caused by lack of tooth brushing in that spot. We recommend gently brushing the area, even if it bleeds, as this allows any trapped plaque to cause anymore inflammation. Warm salty rinses can also assist with healing of gums. If are still finding discomfort, call our team to book in an emergency appointment.

Loose appliance
If your appliance becomes loose and are able to remove it yourself, please don’t hesitate to remove it and call us as soon as possible. We will book you in for our next available emergency spot to re-glue your appliance.
Lost or broken retainers
If you have lost or broken your retainers, this is not an emergency. You’re welcome to call our practice and leave a message until one of our staff calls you back in opening hours. Although, please don’t delay your call as this may cause moving of the teeth if left to long. If your retainer is broken but still wearable, wear it until new retainers are made. Losing or breaking your retainers will result in a fee of $180 each retainer.
Swallowing of brackets
Swallowing a bracket isn’t as bad as it seems, usually the bracket will pass through the body on its own. If you do swallow a bracket, please call us as you will need to make an appointment to have a new bracket rebonded.
Lost separators
Separators are placed to create space for when your fixed appliance is inserted to fit comfortably in between your molars. If any separators fall out 24 hours prior to your appliance insert appointment then they have created enough space. If any longer than 24 hours, please call us as we will have to replace them.
Lost aligners
If you lose your aligner/s we will need to reorder the aligners you’ve lost, this can take time. In the meantime, you will need to remain in your present aligner until new ones arrive. This could result in lab fees, please call our staff asap and if not available to reach us, leave a message.
Broken braces
  • If you are taking care when eating you should not experience any breakages. 
  • Please DO NOT chew fingernails, pens or hard objects which may put pressure on the brackets and injure your mouth.
  • Breakages can add significant time to your treatment.
  • If your bracket does come away from the tooth it is not a 000 emergency.  If you need to, you can place wax over the bracket to ensure it doesn’t move around and rub your cheeks.
  • Please call the surgery as soon as possible for advice.  We will make an extra appointment to have the bracket replaced. We may not be able to provide an after-school/work appointment.  As you will appreciate, the after-school/work appointments are very popular and are booked 6-8 weeks in advance.
  • Unfortunately, if we are not aware of a broken bracket at your routine adjustment appointment we may not have adequate time to fix it, therefore requiring you to make another appointment.
  • We allow you two chances for complimentary repairs. If there are further breakages then this will incur an extra $50 fee for each bracket.
Bleeding

Bleeding can happen if appliances or braces are causing any irritation to the gums or cheeks. Using wax can help the rubbing, although if bleeding still continues please call our practice so one of our clinicians can take a look.