First things first, don’t worry! There are very few emergencies in orthodontics. If you have your braces on for a few extra weeks while your orthodontist’s clinic is closed this is not a problem.
At the moment, we don’t know exactly when clinics will be re-opening. You may have some questions regarding your braces.
The OSI has put together a few tips for caring for your teeth and brace in between now and your next visit:
- Drink water and milk only, limit sugary and fizzy drinks.
- Snack on healthy foods (cheese, hummus, bread, yoghurts, fruit, vegetables) and avoid hard, chewy foods that might break your brace.
- For those preparing for exams, avoid biting your nails or pens and keep up the good work, you are almost there!
- Brush your teeth for 2 minutes 3 times a day, you have all the time in the world now, there is no excuse! Spit out toothpaste but don’t rinse!! This leaves a layer of Fluoride on your teeth which makes your teeth stronger after the acid attack of eating.
- Don’t forget to use TePe’s or interproximal brushes under your brace/wires too and around your gums. A Fluoride mouthwash can be helpful to reduce your risk of decay. Use this at a different time to brushing your teeth. We recommend Fluorigard®, by Colgate.
- If you are wearing elastics, aligners or retainers, make sure to wash your hands before and after touching them.
- Continue wearing your elastics as your orthodontist has prescribed.
- If you are wearing aligners, continue wearing them as normal, if you come to the end of your aligners, continue wearing the last one for 14 hours/day as a retainer to hold the position of your teeth.
- If you are wearing twin blocks or a removable brace, keep wearing them as your orthodontist has prescribed.
- If a bracket breaks, don’t worry. This is not an emergency. Your orthodontist can fix this easily when they are up and running again.
- If a wire is long and causing an ulcer, use the wax we have already given you. If this does not work, contact the practice.
- Do not go to your dentist or A&E for an orthodontic emergency. Please contact your orthodontist by phone or email (they may have guidelines on how best to reach them on their website or Facebook pages).
Not orthodontics related but just in case you want to know-What is a true dental emergency?
This depends on the patient, but true dental emergencies are:
- severe dental pain
- dental trauma
- uncontrolled bleeding
- facial swelling
- neck swelling
Please phone your dentist if you have any of the above and they will give you advise and treat you appropriately.
Information on the Covid_19 Corona virus
https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/health/covid19_overview.html
HSE video on handwashing
