Mechanical problems to look out for
You may experience a few hiccups in the first few weeks as your mouth adjusts to your new braces. Here are a few mechanical problems to be on the lookout for and guidance from Dr. Black and his team about how to deal with them.
Loose brackets
Sometimes, especially in the beginning of treatment, brackets may come loose. The adhesive that sticks your braces to your teeth is designed so we can remove the braces when treatment ends. Because everyone’s teeth are different, the bond strength is also different for each person. When adhesive causes the brackets to loosen, you can rest easy knowing the majority of our patients complete their treatment with only one or less such problems. Make sure to thoroughly under tooth where a loose bracket is still attached to the archwire until you can get it fixed.
If a bracket comes loose, please call to schedule an appointment to have it repaired. Loose brackets can sometimes be left until the next regularly scheduled appointment. Either way, though, we must allow extra time for the repair. Call us even if it loosens the same day as your regular appointment so we can adjust accordingly.
Unfortunately, either the repair or the scheduled appointment will have to wait if we didn’t know you needed it. We have this policy to ensure we remain on time for your scheduled appointments, out of respect for our clients’ schedules.
Loose bands
Sometimes we place metal rings that go all the way around the back teeth. These are molar bands. If a molar band comes loose, you should schedule an appointment as soon as possible. Your tooth could get damaged from food stuck under a loose band where it’s impossible to clean.
Always bring any loose parts off your braces or other appliance with you to the next appointment. This will keep you from paying for replacement parts.
If you have any questions, or if any problems come up, please call us. We are always happy to help in any way we can.