Feeling frantic about your broken braces or retainer?

We’re an emergency dentist in Calgary, and we’re ready to help.

You’re excited about getting your teeth straightened and flashing your perfect smile. Are you counting down the days until you get your braces taken off?  Only to find that your braces have broken?

Now you’re worrying that it will delay your treatment and that your teeth will start to move back.

Or you’ve finished your treatment, and your retainer is maintaining all that hard work on your teeth. Until it breaks. And now you’re stressing about how long you have to get it fixed before your teeth start to relapse.

We can help make sure that your investment and treatment don’t go to waste.

Your braces have become loose

The glue attaching the braces to your teeth can weaken over time due to wear and tear, or eating certain types of foods. You need fast dental care if your braces have loosened because this can significantly delay your treatment.

Your archwire has snapped

You may be finding talking, chewing and swallowing difficult as the wire can snag the inside of your mouth.

To prevent injury, give our clinic a call anytime for an appointment.

What you can do at home

Use a cotton swab to ease the wire into a more comfortable position.
If you can’t move the wire, coat the end with dental wax to protect against cuts.
If you already have cuts and irritation, use a warm salt water rinse or antiseptic mouthwash to keep the area clean.
Do not cut the wire, as you may end up swallowing it.

What to do if you’ve broken or lost a bracket

Book in to see our dentist or orthodontist as soon as you can.  While this isn't strictly a dental emergency, a broken, loose or lost brackets can irritate your cheeks, gums and tongue.

They also lengthen your treatment time because while the bracket is not intact and fully functional, your braces cannot continue to straighten your teeth.

Damaged brackets can cause other treatment problems such as putting too much pressure on your other teeth.

As a temporary measure you can:

Check to see if the wire is still attached to the bracket.
If the wire is still attached but sticking out, use a cotton swab to ease it back into place. Dental wax can be used to stop it cutting your mouth.
If the bracket has come loose but is still attached to the wire, put some dental wax on the bracket to stop it rubbing the inside of your mouth.
If the bracket has completely fallen off, remove it from your mouth immediately and bring it to our clinic when you come in.
Avoid hard foods to prevent further damage to a broken bracket.
If you have scratches or cuts on the inside of your mouth, rinse with warm salt water or an antiseptic mouthwash to prevent infection.

Broken your removable or permanent retainer?

Do not hesitate in seeking treatment because your teeth may relapse. If your teeth begin shifting back, you may need braces again to correct them.

If you have a removable retainer, don’t wear it if it no longer fits well. Of course, if you have a permanent retainer, you cannot remove it so it will probably become uncomfortable if it isn’t rebonded quickly.

Don’t attempt to fix the retainer yourself as it may cause further damage and may also damage your teeth. Do not use superglue.

See why you can rely on us

Call 587-351-2243587-351-2243 now!