Many problems can be solved at home, though we always have appointments if you need one. The following are a few things you can do at home to ensure that we will be able to fix your braces right away:

• If a wire falls off, place it in a bag until you can come to our office
• If something is irritating your gums, put soft wax on any part of your braces that is sticking out
• If the wire has moved, you may be able to move it back with needle-nosed pliers very carefully

Whether you can fix the problem or not, it is imperative to let us know what is happening. We may need to take a look at your braces to see if we need to do any repair work on them so that they will continue to work as they should.

Here are some additional tips that may be helpful:

You may want to rinse your mouth with a warm, saltwater mouthwash. You can dissolve one teaspoonful of salt in eight ounces of warm water and use the mixture to rinse your mouth out.

Many people like to use Orabase on their sore gums to help with the discomfort. This product is available at the pharmacy. You may also use over-the-counter medications like acetaminophen (Tylenol). It is not recommended that you take aspirin or NSAIDs like ibuprofen (Motrin and Advil), or naproxen sodium (Aleve, Naprosyn, Anaprox) because they slow the movement of the teeth.

You should use wax to address the irritation caused by your new braces so that your mouth can get used to the feeling of them. Also, any time that you have a loose appliance apply wax so that it won’t cause discomfort until we can fix it.

If you are not wearing your headgear the way you should be, you may have some discomfort. It is important to wear your headgear as often as requested so that you will get the desired results more quickly. You will get used to wearing it, and it will stop causing you discomfort the more you wear it.

If you are having a lot of discomfort, make sure that your facebow (the metal piece) is not bent. If it is, we can help you straighten it out so it is more comfortable.

If you have a loose bracket, it is important that you leave it in place the best that you can. You can put wax on it so that it doesn’t irritate your gums until you can be seen. If it comes off, put it in a bag or envelope so that you can bring it with you to your next visit. We need to see exactly what came off to fix the problem.

If you have a loose wire, you might be able to use tweezers or needle-nose pliers to try to put the wire back into place. If needed, you can use floss to tie the wire into place until you can come into our office.