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Glossary in Russian |
| If a wire is causing
irritation, try
pushing the wire away from the area being irritated using the eraser end
of a pencil or the blunt side of a spoon. If the wire cannot be tucked
in, cover the end of the wire with a small piece of wax, cotton ball, or
a piece of sugarless gum, until you can see your orthodontist for an adjustment.
Cutting the wire should only be done as a last resort if professional help
is unavailable.
If your teeth are sore after a monthly visit at your orthodontist, take aspirin, tylenol or ibuprofen unless you are allergic to them. Rinsing your mouth with a teaspoon of salt dissolved in a glass of warm water can also be soothing. If your teeth get sore suddenly in the middle of the month, give your orthodontist a call because it is unusual for the teeth to get sore several weeks after your last office visit. If food becomes stuck between your teeth, use dental floss or a proxy brush to dislodge the food. It sometimes helps to tie a small know in the middle of the floss and then slide the floss back and forth through the food mass. If a piece of your appliance breaks, save the piece and call your orthodontist to schedule a repair visit. If you swallow a piece of your appliance, try to remain calm. A swallowed piece will usually go either into the stomach or the lungs. Most of the time it will go in the stomach and pass out of the body in a bowel movement. However, if difficulty breathing is experienced you should seek immediate medical attention. X-rays will be taken to determine the position of the swallowed piece and your physicians will counsel you on your options concerning retrieval of the stray piece. If a retainer cracks, bring it to your orthodontist for a professional repair. If a permanent tooth gets loose, call your orthodontist to discuss the movement. A little movement is normal when wearing braces, but if a tooth can be pushed upwards towards the gums with just finger pressure, that is unusual. |
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Recently Dr. Echols had a child in his office who had a tooth knocked out in a pillow fight. The baby sitter did not know what to do and the result was the tooth was not replanted. If something like this happens to you or a friend, here's what to do: If the tooth is completely knocked out, you should locate the tooth and carefully place it in milk. Yes, milk. The reason is to keep the outside surface of the tooth from drying out. There is a membrane on the surface of the root which has to remain if a successful re-implantation is to occur. Get the tooth and the person to your dentist right away after the accident occurs. Usually if you can re-implant the tooth within an hour or so, it will be successful. If the dentist is not available call your orthodontist so he or she can find a specialist. Another incident which unfortunately happens more often than we like to hear is about teeth being displaced from the bone, but held in place by the braces. One teenager had her front teeth knocked out of the sockets by a horse when the horse reared up and hit her in the mouth. The braces held the teeth in place and we were able to re-implant the teeth successfully. Usually root canal therapy is necessary when the teeth are out of the socket, but this procedure works well. The worst accidents we see
are from baseball. Bats and teeth don't mix well. Baseballs
hitting the front of the face tend to make a mess and it is the chief reason
for Dr. Echols seeing his patients on Friday night and Saturday.
Oddly enough soccer and basketballs rarely cause problems.
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