Comfort Appointments

The purpose of the braces is to act as handlebars to hold the wire, which together is required for straightening your teeth. While the braces are bonded to your teeth with strong adhesive and are meant to be tough, they can become loosened when you eat sticky or hard-to-chew foods. Brackets can also become loose if you endure an injury to the head or mouth. Be sure to talk to Dr. Rucker and his team about using a mouthguard to give you valuable protection against sports-related injuries! Please contact our office immediately if you experience a loose bracket.

What To Do

If you have a loose bracket, it is recommended to keep them in place until you can be seen in our office. If the loose bracket is located in the back molars, attempt to carefully slide the bracket off the end of the wire and cover the exposed wire with orthodontic wax. Please save and bring the removed bracket with you to your emergency orthodontic appointment.

The purpose of the braces is to act as handlebars to hold the wire, which together is required for straightening your teeth. While the braces are bonded to your teeth with strong adhesive and are meant to be tough, they can become loosened when you eat sticky or hard-to-chew foods. Brackets can also become loose if you endure an injury to the head or mouth. Be sure to talk to Dr. Rucker and his team about using a mouthguard to give you valuable protection against sports-related injuries! Please contact our office immediately if you experience a loose bracket.

What To Do

If you have a loose bracket, it is recommended to keep them in place until you can be seen in our office. If the loose bracket is located in the back molars, attempt to carefully slide the bracket off the end of the wire and cover the exposed wire with orthodontic wax. Please save and bring the removed bracket with you to your emergency orthodontic appointment.

Sometimes during your orthodontic treatment, you may experience wire irritation. This can cause symptoms such as discomfort, irritation, or pain that can become unbearable if left untreated.

What To Do

When you or your child experience wire irritation, dry the irritated area with cotton or tissue, and then cover the wire with orthodontic wax until you can be seen in our office.

If you’ve just recently had your braces bonded or wire changed, it will usually take around 2-4 days for the general soreness to subside. For some patients, the tenderness in the teeth can last for a week or more, but if you feel that the soreness is becoming unbearable, schedule an immediate appointment with your orthodontist in Temecula, Dr. Rucker.

What To Do

If you are experiencing general soreness, it is recommended to take over-the-counter pain medication, such as Tylenol, Motrin, or Advil, to ease the discomfort.