BRACED ON VACATION

What to do if you have a problem with your braces while away from home

Summer is by far my favorite season: The beautiful weather, light clothing, the longer days, and vacations. If you or your child is wearing braces, there are a few things to keep in mind to prevent or deal with emergencies. Before leaving home for vacation, be sure to ask your orthodontist for comfort wax which is used to cover over irritating parts of the braces. You may also be able to purchase this at a large pharmacy store in the dental area.

Poking wires: If a wire protrudes from your braces in the back of the mouth, place wax on it until you can see your orthodontist. If you don’t have wax, you can soften some sugarless gum and then roll it up in a ball and place it over the sharp wire or brace until you can visit your orthodontist.

Poking Ligature wires: You may have tiny little wires around your individual braces. If they become bent and poke your cheek or lip, you can use the eraser of a pencil to bend the little wire back in place. Placing comfort wax over it is also helpful.

Loose braces: A brace which has detached from a tooth can be annoying. Until you can see your orthodontist for a repair, you make place a small strip of comfort wax (provided by the orthodontist) over the loose brace as well as the adjacent teeth on either side.

Diet: As tempting as it is, don’t bite into that frozen ice cream bar! Hard foods lead to broken braces.

Trauma: If your teeth get hit causing any of them to get loose or bleed, you should seek the advice of a local orthodontist or dentist to determine how serious this could be and if any treatment is necessary before you return home.

Lost Retainers: Depending upon how recently you had your braces removed, a lost retainer could lead to shifting of your teeth known as relapse. If you had your braces removed less than 3 months ago and won’t be able to see your orthodontist in excess of 2 weeks, it would be a good idea to call your orthodontist to see if you should see another doctor to have a new retainer made. This will be determined by what your original problem was and its tendency to relapse.

Here’s hoping you all enjoy your summer vacations, and do everything you can to preserve the safety and health of your teeth.

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