Orthodontic Emergency Care
Most orthodontic problems are not emergencies and can wait until office hours. A loose bracket, a poking wire or a lost separator can usually be managed at home overnight. Call us for severe pain, an injury to the mouth or teeth, or a problem you cannot resolve. Olathe (913) 829-2244.
First: is this urgent?
True orthodontic emergencies are rare. We know a loose bracket at night can be worrying. Most of the time it can wait until morning, and here is how to keep comfortable.
Call us right away if:
- There is severe pain you cannot manage
- There has been a direct injury to the mouth, teeth or jaw
- A piece of appliance has been swallowed or inhaled
- There is swelling or signs of infection
These can usually wait until office hours: a loose bracket or band, a poking or broken wire, a lost separator, a lost or broken retainer, general soreness after an adjustment.
Please note: we cannot handle emergencies on a walk-in basis - that is what protects the appointment times of patients already scheduled. Call and we will find you a time, usually the same day for anything genuinely urgent.
What To Do Right Now - Common Problems
Poking or irritating wire
Cover the end with orthodontic wax or a small piece of sugar-free gum. If the wire has slipped and is long, it can often be bent back in with a pencil eraser, or trimmed with nail clippers sterilized in alcohol. Cover it afterwards. Call us during office hours.
Irritating tie wire
Cover it with wax, or tuck it back under the archwire using something blunt - a pencil eraser or a cotton swab works well.
Loose bracket or band
Usually it can be left where it is. If it is still attached to the wire, leave it and cover it with wax if it rubs. If it has come away completely, keep it and bring it with you. Call during office hours and we will schedule a re-bond.
Lost separator
Common, and rarely urgent. Call us - we will decide whether it needs replacing before your next appointment.
General soreness after an adjustment
Normal for a few days. A soft diet, warm salt-water rinses, and whatever pain relief your child normally takes all help. It settles.
Lost or broken retainer
Call us promptly. Teeth begin moving back within days, not months. This is the one “non-urgent” problem that gets more expensive the longer it is left. More on retainers →
Knowing the Parts Helps
It is much easier to describe a problem over the phone if you know what to call things:
- Bracket - the small square bonded to each tooth
- Band - the metal ring around a back molar
- Archwire - the wire running through all the brackets
- Tie wire / elastic tie - the small tie holding the archwire to each bracket
- Separator / spacer - the small rubber ring placed between teeth before bands are fitted
A Home Kit Worth Having
Keep these somewhere findable before you need them:
Orthodontic wax · sterile tweezers · nail clippers (alcohol-sterilized, for wire only) · salt for rinses · a small mirror and flashlight· your orthodontist’s number
Call Your Office
Olathe (913) 829-2244 · Lenexa/Shawnee (913) 268-5559 · Kansas City (913) 227-4575 · Louisburg (913) 837-3500 · Emporia (620) 343-3000
Hours: Monday-Thursday 8:00am-5:00pm · Friday 8:00am-3:00pm
If you contact us after hours by phone, text or email, we respond the next business day. For a genuine medical emergency - significant injury, uncontrolled bleeding, difficulty breathing or swallowing - go to an emergency room or call 911 right away.
