Orthodontic Emergencies — Queens, NY

Fast Orthodontic Care When You Need It Most

Young woman should visit her Queens emergency orthodontist

If you or your child is currently straightening your smile with braces, clear aligners, or any of our other treatments, you’ll be pleased to hear that orthodontic emergencies are relatively uncommon. All the same, it’s important to know what types of situations require urgent attention and what to do should you find yourself facing one. For fast orthodontic care when you need it most, you can count on our experienced team here at SimpliBraces. We treat orthodontic emergencies in Queens and the surrounding communities as quickly as possible, so don’t wait to give us a call!

Why Choose SimpliBraces for Emergency Orthodontic Care?

  • Board-Certified Orthodontist with Extensive Training
  • Insurance Welcome & Interest-Free In House Financing Available
  • Open Until 6pm Monday Through Thursday

What to Do in an Orthodontic Emergency

Man visiting orthodontist for orthodontic emergency in Queens

No matter how big or small your orthodontic emergency is, all you need to do is follow these easy steps:

  • Step 1: Call our office. We do everything to see emergency patients as quickly as possible, so call us right away so we can make room for you in our schedule. One of our experienced team members will guide you over the phone on how to handle your emergency until you can reach us.
  • Step 2: See Dr. Isaak Yelizar. Your emergency orthodontist in Queens Dr. Yelizar will see you right away when you arrive. After carefully evaluating your situation and gathering any necessary data, such as X-ray images, he will explain his findings to you.
  • Step 3: Get the care you need! In many cases, Dr. Yelizar will be able to handle your orthodontic emergency right away. In some cases, such as you need a replacement piece for your orthodontics, we may need to schedule you for a follow-up appointment before you go.

The Most Common Orthodontic Emergencies

Are you in significant pain? Are your braces broken? Are you concerned about a new symptom you’ve noticed during your treatment? Orthodontic emergencies come in all shapes and sizes, from small inconveniences to major issues. Even if you aren’t sure if your situation qualifies as an emergency, we encourage you to give us a call anyway. We will help you assess your symptoms over the phone and walk you through the next steps you should take. Below, you’ll find some of the most common orthodontic emergencies we treat. 

Understanding the Cost of Orthodontic Emergencies

Coins and piggy bank representing cost of orthodontic emergencies Queens

Since orthodontic emergencies tend to vary from patient to patient, there’s no actual “set cost” for emergency treatment. Some emergencies are quick and relatively inexpensive to treat, while others may require complex care, replacement parts, or other things that can be tacked on to the total price. This means that until you’ve come in to see us for an emergency examination, we can’t give you an accurate cost estimate. Keep reading below for some more useful information about the different factors that often play into the cost of treating orthodontic emergencies.

Every Orthodontic Emergency Is Different

a person suffering from a toothache

Keep in mind that since every person’s smile and orthodontic treatment differ, no two orthodontic emergencies truly look the same. But this isn’t a reason to worry; even the direst circumstances can be treated, and most of the time, these situations aren’t too severe to begin with. In any case, the first thing we’ll do once you arrive is quickly and carefully examine your situation, to determine the extent of the damage and what will be required to treat you.

Does Dental Insurance Cover Orthodontic Emergencies?

a patient being handed an insurance form

You’ll be happy to hear that most dental insurance providers offer some degree of coverage for orthodontic emergencies, but this coverage varies from plan to plan. This is why it’s always going to be in your best interest to familiarize yourself with the details of your policy, ideally before committing to orthodontic treatment. If your plan doesn’t provide any orthodontic benefits, it’s also possible to purchase supplementary orthodontic insurance. Our team is more than happy to review the specifics of your plan with you to ensure that you’re making the most of your benefits whenever possible!

Other Options for Making Orthodontic Emergencies Affordable

a patient receiving emergency care

Lacking dental insurance should never be a roadblock that prevents you from receiving necessary orthodontic care. That’s why our practice is proud to offer means of making your treatment more affordable, including our “Interest-Free In-House” option, which lets us work out a low down payment and no-interest monthly payments that fit within your individual budget. We’re also excited to provide a “Sibling Discount,” which offers discounted rates for siblings or any other family members wanting to begin treatment with us. We also work with LendingPoint, a third-party financer that helps qualifying patients break up their total cost of care into manageable installments.

Taking Care of Your Smile Can Save You Money

a patient with braces smiling

In all honesty, the best way you can save money on orthodontic care, including emergency treatment, is by simply taking great care of your smile – patients in good oral health are far less likely to encounter dental or orthodontic emergencies! But in addition to maintaining excellent oral hygiene, you also need to make smart choices. For example, if you have metal braces, you should avoid problematic foods and wear your elastics as instructed. Likewise, if you’re an Invisalign patient, be sure to remove your aligners before eating. In the long run, taking great care of your smile will save you money, since you’re unlikely to suffer unexpected, expensive setbacks. 

Keys to Preventing Orthodontic Emergencies

braces being flossed to prevent an emergency

While you can count on SimpliBraces to be here for you should you ever experience an orthodontic emergency, we’d prefer it if you never ran into one of these scary situations in the first place! Avoiding an orthodontic emergency is an easy task if you practice a few healthy habits and simple precautions. Practicing good oral hygiene, following your treatment plan, and visiting us for regular checkups will all go a long way in keeping your smile safe and your treatment on track!

Prioritize Your Check-In Visits

Dentist and patient talking in dental office

Throughout your teeth-straightening journey, you’ll come into our office periodically. If you have traditional braces, then we’ll use these visits to adjust your brackets and wires and assess the condition of each. In short, these routine visits help prevent orthodontic emergencies like broken wires and loose attachments.

Maintain Good Oral Hygiene At Home

Woman smiling while brushing her teeth in bathroom

Remember, orthodontic emergencies can extend beyond broken brackets and loose wires. To keep your teeth and gums healthy throughout your teeth-straightening journey, it’s of the utmost importance that you consistently brush, floss, and rinse with mouthwash. If you’ve fallen off-track because you’re having trouble cleaning around your braces, try using special oral hygiene products, like an interproximal toothbrush.

Abide by the Dietary Restrictions

Closeup of woman cutting vegetables in kitchen

One of the top reasons patients end up at our office due to an orthodontic emergency is because they did something that caused a bracket, wire, or attachment to snap. So, don’t eat chewy, crunchy, and sticky foods during your teeth-straightening journey (i.e., caramel candies, tortilla chips, raw nuts). It’s also important to limit your intake of foods and drinks with added sugar since they can result in a cavity or two developing.

Wear a Mouthguard During Sports

Patient holding clear mouthguard

All too often, patients wear protective gear – like kneepads and helmets – but completely forget to protect their teeth (and braces) from harm. We recommend having a custom mouthguard made for that very reason: to protect your smile from accidental bumps, rogue balls, and bad falls.

Important note: You should wear a mouthguard even if you participate in a non-contact sport like skateboarding or surfing.

Quit Unhealthy Dental Habits

Woman smiling while working at home

In short, even habits that seem harmless can increase your risk of experiencing an orthodontic emergency. That’s why we encourage our patients to avoid habits like biting their nails, chewing on ice cubes, or using their teeth as tools to open things.

Toothache

Is a toothache an emergency? It’s incredibly normal to experience some discomfort throughout your orthodontic treatment. For example, you may feel aching and soreness when biting down for a few days after getting your braces tightened or moving on to the next set of aligners. However, your toothache is considered a dental emergency if you experience any of the following:

  • Pain that doesn’t go away
  • Worsening discomfort
  • A tooth is starting to look discolored
  • Sharp pain when biting down
  • Lingering sensitivity

How you should handle toothaches: Don’t hesitate to give us a call if your toothache hasn’t gone away after multiple days. We’ll make an appointment for you at your earliest convenience to identify the cause of your pain. Depending on your situation, we may recommend contacting your regular dentist for an appointment.

In the meantime, you can manage your discomfort with over-the-counter pain medication and cold compresses. Make sure you rinse with salt water to kill any bacteria from a potential infection and floss to remove stuck debris.

Loose Bracket

Is a loose bracket or wire an emergency? Not always, mainly because it doesn’t typically cause pain. However, you should still seek treatment as soon as possible to ensure your orthodontic treatment stays on track. Contact our office as soon as you can to schedule an emergency appointment!

How you should handle a loose bracket or wire: Call our orthodontic office for advice if a bracket is loose. We will let you know if the bracket can be fixed at your next scheduled visit or if you should come in sooner than that. If the bracket is still attached to the wire, you should leave it in place and put wax on it if needed for comfort. If the bracket is bothering you and can be removed easily, place it in an envelope and save it to bring to your next appointment.

Broken Wire

Is a broken bracket or wire an emergency? Since a broken wire can harm your soft oral tissues, you will need urgent orthodontic care to protect your smile and get it back on the right track. You should never try and resolve the situation on your own, as that can simply lead to further damage. Instead, contact us right away for personal assistance.

How you should handle a broken bracket or wire: If possible, collect any pieces that have broken off and bring them with you to your upcoming orthodontic appointment. While you wait for your appointment, cover any sharp edges to the best of your abilities with dental wax or sugar-free gum.

Poking Wire

Is a poking or protruding wire an emergency? Yes! It needs to be addressed right away. Otherwise, a poking or protruding wire can irritate your soft tissues and potentially lead to an infection. You should never feel like you have to suffer through this type of soreness. Make sure you give our office a call and schedule an appointment with our emergency orthodontist to relieve your pain.

How you should handle a poking or protruding wire: You can use a Q-tip or a clean pencil eraser to carefully move the protruding wire back into the proper position. In addition, you can apply orthodontic wax or sugar-free gum over the wire to keep it from damaging your cheeks, lips, or tongue. When you get to our office, we’ll help you put it back into place and ensure your treatment is working as intended.

Mouth Sores

Are mouth sores or irritation an emergency? Once you start wearing braces, you may notice your brackets can easily rub against your lips, tongue, or cheeks. As a result, your soft tissue can lead to irritation, sores, and inflammation. Of course, this is a normal side effect that will naturally go away when you adjust to your treatment. After a few weeks, you should feel more comfortable with your braces.

How you should handle mouth sores or irritation: Don’t hesitate to contact us if it seems like your sores aren’t getting better or they’re becoming more painful. Our team will check for an infection and put a game plan in place to get you out of pain. We’ll get your smile back to normal in no time!

In the meantime, you can rinse your mouth with warm water to ease discomfort. Dental wax can also be used to cover your brackets and prevent further irritation. It’ll create a barrier between your braces and soft tissues.

Broken Ligature

Is a broken ligature an emergency? It’s easy to put ligatures (rubber bands) back in if they fall off. They’re an essential part of your orthodontic treatment because they ensure your wire stays attached to your braces. If they happen to break, you need to contact our office right away to ensure your treatment stays on track.

How you should handle a broken ligature: Try using sterile tweezers to carefully put a broken ligature back in place. If needed, you can even use a cotton swab or pencil eraser to bend it back into the right position. Don’t hesitate to make an appointment with our emergency dentist if nothing is working. We’ll gladly assist you and resolve your situation quickly!

Soft Tissue Cuts

Is a cut lip, cheek, or tongue an emergency? Your braces may cut your soft tissues if you sustain a blow to the face. While these injuries can bleed a lot, they’re not typically considered an emergency. However, we can stitch the wound closed if needed. If your bleeding hasn’t stopped after 5-10 minutes, head to your local emergency for assistance.

How you should handle a cut lip, cheek, or tongue: Carefully clean the area with a wet washcloth or rinse your mouth out. In addition, apply pressure to the area to control bleeding. You can also take over-the-counter pain medication and use cold compresses to relieve your discomfort.

Something Stuck Between Teeth

Is having something stuck between the teeth an emergency? Everyone has had something stuck between their teeth at some point in time. It’s not uncommon for this issue to occur when wearing traditional metal braces! While you do not need to see your orthodontist every time this happens, you should have the proper instruments on hand to clean your braces carefully and effectively.

How you should handle something stuck between your teeth: You can try using dental floss or a proxy brush to dislodge food debris stuck in between your teeth. They’re both great ways to get something out from between your teeth or braces! Rinsing with warm water can also help remove the stuck item. Whatever you do, never use a sharp object like a toothpick as it can do more harm than good. If you can’t get the item out yourself, don’t hesitate to give us a call for assistance.

Broken/Lost Aligner or Retainer

Is a broken or lost aligner or retainer an emergency? Not always! However, you should still seek help as soon as possible. Failing to do so may cause you to potentially get off track and delay your treatment. Make sure you contact us within a few days of losing or breaking your aligner or retainer.

How you should handle a broken or lost aligner or retainer: The last thing you should do is continue wearing your lost or broken aligner or retainer. It could potentially move your teeth into the wrong positions. Instead, retrace your steps and try looking for the lost appliance. You can search areas like countertops, between couch cushions, in the trash, in your purse, or your pockets.

Don’t forget to contact us and explain your situation. We’ll help you decide whether or not you should have your missing or broken set replaced.

Loose Teeth

Are loose teeth an emergency? Rest assured – it’s completely normal for your teeth to feel slightly loose while they’re being repositioned. It’s only a matter of concern if your teeth feel particularly loose. In that case, something may be wrong, like gum disease.

How you should handle loose teeth: Do not play or overuse your loose teeth! Instead, practice good oral hygiene to fight off the bacteria that could be weakening the tissue. You can schedule an emergency appointment with our team to ensure everything is okay. We’ll take X-rays to monitor the health of your jawbone and determine which treatment option is best to get your smile on the right track.

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