Emergency Care
Occasionally, some patients will experience an injury to the mouth during treatment. Your friends at Andrew Pedersen Orthodontics are here to help.
If you need urgent care, we urge you to seek emergency hospital treatment, or to call our York office at (717) 764-3854.
Dental emergencies while wearing braces or other orthodontic appliances generally fall into the two categoriesbelow.
Emergencies Related To Orthodontic Appliances
Sometimes, appliances might be broken or bent during your orthodontic care. If there are any disturbances, such as loose bands, loose brackets, broken or poking wires, please call our office for an appointment during patient hours.
- For your convenience and the convenience of scheduled patients, it is not possible to handle emergencies on a walk-in basis. In the meantime, here are some helpful hints to remedy some of the problems you may encounter until our office can see you.
- If a tie wire is irritating your mouth, cover it with beeswax or tuck it under the archwire with a blunt object like a pencil eraser or Q-tip.
- A loose band or bracket can generally be left in place until seen in our office. Call Andrew Pedersen Orthodontics when you notice a loose band or bracket. We will schedule you to reattach the loose appliance if indicated.
- A broken or poking archwire can often be bent in with a pencil eraser or cut with nail clippers. Call our office, if you do not feel the problem has been resolved properly.
Direct Injuries to the Mouth and Teeth
Following a direct injury to your mouth or teeth, whether undergoing orthodontic care or not, immediately ice the injured area and contact your regular dentist as soon as possible.
Usually, an X-ray of the involved tooth or teeth is needed to determine the extent of the injury. If a tooth has been displaced, knocked out, or fractured, it may be best to contact both your family dentist and us.
Depending on what appliances are present and the type of trauma, we may not have the necessary materials or anesthesia required that your dentist would have on hand.
If your appliances are dislodged or displaced, we will need to replace or adjust the appliances as soon as possible.
After Office Hours
If an orthodontic emergency arises where the patient is in pain after hours, please call the office at (717) 764-3854.