Vacation with Your Braces
By Richard J. Moses, III, D.M.D.
Tis the season for vacations! With only a matter of weeks until school starts and four months until Christmas, it’s time to go on vacation. Aside from vacation, Summer is also the “busy season” for getting your braces. Insiders tip: Do you want to see your orthodontist without the office busting at the seams with patients? If so, schedule your appointment in September after school starts and you will have the opportunity to spend some quality time with your friendly neighborhood orthodontist.
If you and your family are anything like mine, you will not even consider what to do about a potential orthodontic emergency until either you are already in the car on the way to the beach or it actually happens. Never fear, I shall review some of the most common orthodontic emergencies and how to handle them by yourself. You read that correctly, you are able to manage most orthodontic emergencies by yourself or with the help of a caring individual willing to stick their hands into your mouth until you can get to your orthodontist.
If you don't feel comfortable dealing with the emergency or just need some reassurance, call your orthodontist. They will be able to direct you in the appropriate course of action and get you back out to the beach pronto. Keep in mind that most locations in the world also have excellent dentists and orthodontists that are usually very sympathetic to your emergent orthodontic needs while on vacation. Make sure that you do follow up with your orthodontist as soon as possible.
Sore spots and irritations inside your mouth: Before you leave for vacation, take some of the free wax that your orthodontist gave to you along with you on the trip. Orthodontic wax is also available in most pharmacies and grocery stores in the dental isle. Pinch off a small piece and roll it into a pea shape ball. Place this on the offending brace. You can also use a small piece of sugarless chewing gum, chew it up, roll it into a ball or hotdog shape, and place it on the brace. Warm saltwater mouth rinses may also help the area heal.
Poking wire: If the poking wire is twisted and looks like “pig-tail” you may be able to use the eraser end of a pencil to gently push it back into position so that it no longer is poking you. Sometimes the wire “walks” out of the back brace and pokes your cheek. If this happens, try to use the eraser end of a pencil to push the wire flush against the teeth. Placing wax or sugarless chewing gum may also help in this situation. You should make your orthodontist aware of this problem as soon as possible.
Loose brace: Although the brace is no longer on the tooth, it is usually still on the wire. In this situation you should call your orthodontist for the best course of action. You may need to have the brace removed the from the wire by an orthodontist to prevent accidental swallowing or other damage.
Have a great vacation and don't worry about your braces. Murphy’s law states that since you now know what to do in an emergency, you will not have any problems!
Richard J. Moses, III, D.M.D. is a dual trained orthodontist and pediatric dentist at Gettysburg Dental Associates and Just Kids. He specializes in child and adult orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics and is a Diplomate of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry.
Gettysburg Dental Associates
Eric Seidel, DMD | Cleveland Null, DDS
www.GettysburgDentalAssociates.com
Just Kids at Gettysburg Dental Associates
Stephanie DeFilippo, DDS | Kristin Russo, DMD
www.JustKidsGettysburg.com
353 York Street Front
Gettysburg, PA 17325
Phone: (717) 334-8193
Fax: (717) 334-0884
www.gettysburgfamilysmiles.com
