Braces are a common occurrence for both adolescents and adults. While the end result is a beautifully straight smile, any orthodontist will warn that your time wearing braces might not be problem-free. So what do you do when you have an orthodontic emergency out of town? Don’t panic! Simply follow the advice from the quality orthodontists at Lamont Jacobs Orthodontics in Fairfield, OH.

What Counts as an Orthodontic Emergency?

Most orthodontic emergencies won’t threaten your overall health, but dealing with the pain and inconvenience can be difficult when you’re away from home. For example, a recurring complaint of patients is broken wires poking into their gums. Other times you may experience a bracket break away from the tooth which can irritate the surrounding gum and lip.

Direct injury to the mouth can be more severe, and necessary treatment will depend on the extent of the injury. Minor damage like the examples above can likely wait until you return home, while extensive trauma may require attention from an emergency physician.

What to Do When You’re Out of Town

Now that you’re familiar with potential problems with adult orthodontics, you can prepare for any out of town issues. For starters, keep in mind that you should always phone your orthodontist with any concerns, but typically you can temporarily alleviate the problem on your own. 

Creating a traveling braces kit is a great way to mitigate an out of town inconvenience. You can include wax or strong scissors to protect against broken wires. Further, you should keep tweezers on hand to remove objects that get stuck in your braces, or adjust brackets until they can be re-adhered.

Mouth trauma should be handled cautiously. Call your orthodontist to inform them of the incident so they can advise from their perspective. From there, use your best judgement to determine if you should visit an emergency room or urgent care to avoid further risk to your health. For example, if you are bleeding from the mouth, you shouldn’t wait until you return home to receive treatment, whereas a busted lip can heal on its own. 

No one wants to experience an orthodontic emergency while they are away, but it is best to be prepared. While maintaining your routine orthodontic appointments to care for your adult braces reduces the likelihood you’ll experiences issues, you should still keep the above information handy. For new patient consultation or further information about the services offered by Lamont Jacobs Orthodontics, call (513) 823-3143 or reach out online.