Dentist demonstrating emergency dental care procedure to student in West Palm Beach treatment room.
We at McCaffrey Orthodontics West Palm Beach pride ourselves on providing the highest standard of orthodontic care that you will find when you are looking for emergency care in West Palm Beach, FL. While we hope that all our patients’ orthodontic treatments go smoothly, our orthodontist can understand that sometimes emergencies can occur during treatment. If you have an emergency, we want you to be ready, which is why we have provided you with these instructions for some of the more common emergencies.
If you find yourself in this situation, we recommend following this process:
  • Move the wire away from the irritated area by using either an eraser or a cotton swab.
  • If this does not work, you can cover the end of the wire with a small amount of wax or a piece of cotton.
  • If the wire is still painful, you can cut it with scissors or nail clippers that have first been washed and sterilized in alcohol.
  • If you are still suffering from irritation, please call us.
It is not uncommon for patients to lose separators after they are placed. The whole purpose of a separator is to create space within the teeth; when the separator becomes loose, it typically just means that the separator has done its job. You will not need a special visit if your orthodontic appointment is only a few days away.
During treatment – usually when you are first getting used to it – there may be times when your teeth are sore, or your mouth becomes irritated. We recommend handling irritations and inflammations through the following methods:
  • Rinse your mouth with warm saltwater.
  • Take an anti-inflammatory agent, such as Motrin or Advil. Alternatively, you can take an ibuprofen or another non-acetaminophen pain reliever.
  • If there is a certain area of the braces that is causing irritation, apply orthodontic wax on the affected area.
Generally, our patients go through their entire treatment without any serious discomfort.
If you find yourself suffering from any of these – or even any other – emergencies, please do not hesitate to give us a call at 561-964-5200. We are glad to get you into our office for an appointment as soon as possible to help you in whatever way we can. If you would like to schedule an appointment with Dr. Kevin McCaffrey, you can give us a call at 561-964-5200 or fill out our online appointment request form. We look forward to hearing from you!
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Orthodontist in professional attire smiling at camera in modern dental office setting.