Santa Cruz Orthodontics

I have worked as an orthodontist for over a decade and my experience in the field definitely gives me the edge and advantage in meeting the specific needs of the people. The length of time that I have spent in the practice has helped me to gain so much, including friendships, because patients who are under my care are precious to me. It has always been my personal belief to make patients feel at home and at ease when they come to me for treatment. I have been doing this for more than 10 years and there is no other work that I enjoy doing. I work hard to give my patients a certain level of care and attention because I know that it is what they deserve. Apart from my practice, I am an Assistant Professor at the University of the Pacific and I run a study club that is focused on the instruction of Invisalign. Teaching helps me to keep up with the latest technology in orthodontic equipment and treatment. At the same time, it gives me the chance to maintain my knowledge and training in the field.

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Choosing The Right Dental Braces Colors

The right dental braces colors can give you a customized look like nothing else can. Having colorful braces can go on to add the right amount of color trend to your smile.

When you visit your orthodontist, ask for all the possible colors that you can have your braces on. You will be given choices for your braces based on several different color combinations such as the colors of your country, your favorite colors, and colors of your schools and so on. You could either stick to white braces for your teeth depending upon your choice.

Braces aren't really a lot of fun to wear but you can spice them up and make them the latest fashion accessory by adding color to them. The colored braces will ensure that they look stylish. There are almost 30 different colors in braces that you can choose from. The process of choosing these colors is made easy by the color wheel. Keep in mind that the color on the wheel might not be the exact one on the braces.

The best color and also frequently chosen for braces is blue. Once you have chosen the color that suits you and you have picked on, let your orthodontist know about it. Once your colored braces are on, you will surely not be able to stop yourself from smiling after the color braces are on.

So, go on and choose colors that have significant meanings to them such as the patriotic colors or your favorite ones. You need not any longer dread having braces on your teeth as it can be a fun way of adding color to life.

Before you go to the orthodontist have a few colors in mind. This will make your choice easier as you will be able to make up your mind quickly.

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For healthier teeth and overall health, please stay away from sodas.

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Useful tip for #braces wearers from Santa Cruz Orthodontics

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Establishing A Solid Bedtime Routine For Kids

A bedtime routine varies from family to family, but being consistent is important for each member of a family. Here are four things that need balance in a bedtime routine:

1. Cleaning up and getting ready for the next day.

Having your kids clean up before dinner will lead to an easier cleaning up after dinner. Whenever you clean up, tidying up one's personal and common space is an important habit to have – this including the adults in the family.

Getting ready for the next day could either be setting out clothes for the next day, or at least just deciding what to wear. You can also look into knowing your child's school schedule. If it's a school night, you might want to make sure your kids have what they need for the next day - is it library day? Does he need gym clothes? Does she have all her homework? Where is the backpack anyway?

2. Getting ready for bed.

This part of the bedtime routine is probably pretty similar from household to household. This includes having the kids get into their pajamas, brushing teeth, and putting dirty clothes in their hamper or dirty clothes basket.

3. Reviewing the day together.

This part of the bedtime routine is tempting to not do some days in the interest of time. However, it is the most important because your kids get to talk and spend time with their parents after a long day. In some families, this is the part of the day they go over the kids' reward charts talk about how the day went. This generally helps with sibling relations and reduces sibling fighting, because kids talk to each other about problems or disagreements after the emotion is behind them.

4. Time with YOU.

If you're still awake at this point, it's a nice time to have some private time with each child, even if it's just a few minutes. This could be reading or just cuddling together and talking. Anything that gives them your undivided attention even for a short time. This is especially crucial for families with multiple kids.

Give these ideas a try for creating a successful bedtime routine. Like anything else, implementing a routine consistently is the key, and every parent surely wants to spend special time with their kids.

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Orthodontics Tip: Avoid these harmful habits when you're wearing your braces.

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How Should You Deal with TMJ Headaches?

The TMJ situation can be especially inconvenient and painful. TMJ sufferers experience pain that may not just involve the jaw area. Patients also suffer from a TMJ headache. The jaw area is not the only area affected by TMJ. Patients can also suffer from facial pain and, as a result, get facial inflammation, too.

A person with TMJ can also possibly experience ear pain and ringing. Another TMJ related condition is the TMJ headache. In severe cases, a TMJ headache may be felt throughout the head area. In a lot of cases though, the pain may only be felt in the temple region.

A TMJ headache is actually referred pain or pain that originates from the jaw and radiates to the temple area. This type of headache is considered a tension type of headache and may further radiate to the neck, shoulders and back regions. Since the pain from a TMJ-related headache may increase and last for days up to a couple of months, this usually leads to poor sleep and fatigue.

All these could therefore translate to poor work performance and interpersonal interactions. Your headache may not disappear on its own so you may need prompt treatment to get you back on track. A TMJ headache may complicate into other health conditions. Several factors including emotional dilemmas, menstrual cycle and physical fatigue may lead to a more painful TMJ headache. Some experts say that a headache of this sort may also occur with sinus and nose congestions or problems.

It is not uncommon to get a misdiagnosis for a TMJ-related headache especially if your general practitioner is not thoroughly familiar with TMJ problems or if you go to a doctor who is not a specialist on TMJ. Sometimes, TMJ can be mistaken for migraine or sinus problems especially if the patient does exhibit sinus symptoms along with a TMJ headache.

Doctors can have different approaches to treating the TMJ condition. Some may simply prescribe a pain reliever or over the counter anti inflammatory drug to help ease the pain of the headache. What you should remember though is that a TMJ headache is caused by your TMJ condition. It therefore follows that you can treat your headache best by addressing your TMJ problem. Like any health condition, TMJ can be treated and approached from various angles.

You could however try to manage your TMJ condition yourself. There is a possibility that your condition may be stress related. If this is the case, what you need to do is to look for ways to relax. You could enroll in formal meditation or yoga classes or you could simply look for activities that you find relaxing. You also need to mentally take note of situations when you suddenly feel yourself go tense and will yourself to relax. Stop suffering from TMJ anymore. Go a to a TMJ specialist to get accurate treatments.

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Useful Tips on Proper Brushing of Teeth With Braces

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How to Take Care of Your Invisalign Aligners

Invisalign is the technology behind straightening the teeth without braces. It is a removable and "invisible" aligner made from a clear thermoplastic material custom made to suit only the patient’s teeth. Invisible alignment = Invisalign.

Invisalign aligners should be worn for two weeks before being replaced by another set. With the aligners the teeth will move in closer and closer until the desired result is achieved.

For best results, proper use and care of aligners should be practiced. Dental treatments don’t come in cheap so you need to take care of your dental appliances.

Make sure both your teeth are clean before wearing the aligner. Proper oral hygiene is always a must. Clean your Invisalign aligners by gently brushing it. If you have an Invisalign cleaning kit, use it; if not use your regular toothpaste to clean it but avoid using cleaning solutions with harsh chemicals. Invisalign aligners are generally stain resistant but if a stubborn stain persists, they can be cleaned by soaking in half a cup of water at room temperature with 10 drops of Clorox bleach for 20 minutes. Take not that you can only do this occasionally. Otherwise your aligners may look or feel strange because of bleaching.

Do not expose your Invisalign aligners to warm temperatures. Remember that Invisalign is made of plastic resin and can be distorted when exposed to extreme heat.

Avoid eating and drinking hot food and beverage while wearing your aligners. Remove your Invisalign aligners before taking in hot food and drinks. Drinking cool water with the Invisalign on, however, is recommended. There are times when it is okay to eat and drink with the aligners on, but as a general rule remove your aligners before eating and drinking.

Prevent staining the Invisalign by not smoking.  This goes both ways - for your teeth and your aligners. Smoking is bad for your healt but if you do have to smoke, remove your aligners prior to smoking.

Do not chew gum while wearing Invisalign. Gum can get stuck to your aligners and damage them altogether.

Store the aligners properly. When not in use, use the case provided by your orthodontist when Invisalign aligners are not worn. That's what they are for.

Orthodontic treatments and dental appliances don’t come in cheap. For optimum results and for better value of your money, be wise and take care of your Invisalign aligners properly.

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Why Should Kids See a Dentist?

One of the most important things a young child should learn is proper oral hygiene. Knowing how to properly apply the principles of good dental health will help them take care of their dental health as they develop into adults. So teach your kids to learn about dental and oral health as soon as they can brush their teeth on their own.

Knowledge and good practice of oral hygiene is not enough, however, as children get older. Through time accumulation of plaque and tartar may not be avoided. This is where good dentists come along.

Dentists are professionals on oral health and they can provide critical information to their patients.  Going to a good dentist may help kids become more responsible with their teeth.

Why should your child see a dentist?

Dentists know the solutions to specific dental concerns. There are some dental problems which are only known to dentists. Consulting with a good dentist with your dental issues is always a good option.

They can provide sound advice when it comes to dental and oral hygiene. When you are feeling that you can't do anything to control your child, your dentist can offer some effective recommendations.

Pediatric dentists are highly trained to deal with children. They treat them so well that kids would want to go back and visit their new friend.

Dentists know how to build a healthy friendship with both you and your child. Most are parents too, giving them the insight on the natural worries and concerns of keeping a child healthy.

If you want your child to learn to have a guided perspective of proper oral hygiene, then make sure to choose the right dentist.  Giving them the knowledge as early as possible will reap rewards in the future. They may also practice the same thing with their own children when the time comes. 

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Healthy Snacks for Your Kids

When kids are in the growing up phase, parents are more focused on teaching the right habits and manners, thus eating habits often get neglected. Being very active, children tend to pick up an extra snack anytime during the day between his regular meals.

These snacks, if planned properly, can add to your child’s nutrition and energy value. But if your child tends to reach for junk foods for snacks, this can lead to grave problems, like child obesity and oral disease.

Since children have a fast-paced life, they often pick cookies, chips, candies and colas to buy with their pocket money. While these foods can help your child to get adjusted to outside food, excessive intake of this type of food could result in health issues in the future. Ingesting foods that are high in sodium and preservatives can lead to liver malfunction and other digestive system problems.

Obesity or an overly lean frame is only an aftermath. It is, therefore, the parent’s responsibility to monitor their children’s snack habits to see that whatever they eat in between meals should not be crossing approximately 150 calories.

Some ideas on healthy snacks for kids are:

Whole Grain Foods - tortillas, whole-grain cereals and pretzels

Raw Fruits and Vegetables - baby carrots, pineapple, cranberries, apples

Breakfast Food - scrambled eggs, whole wheat toast

To ensure that your child is getting enough nutrients from his food, it is always a good idea to check the contents of his plate - and yours. Keep in mind that children look up to their parents as role models. Maintaining a diet full of fiber and protein will keep you and your children full and reduce cravings for unhealthy food.

You can gradually help your child develop a snack habit around fruits like apples, oranges and pear. Introduce him to cereal bars, baked chips, yogurt and popcorn which are low in preservatives. Not only will you keep yourself healthy and fit, you’ll be teaching your children the right snack habits as well.

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How effective are teeth braces on adults?

There are a lot of ads that claim it's never too late for you to get braces. This is great news for people who didn’t get the chance to get braces when they were kids; however some are skeptical as to whether or not adult braces are really a possible idea. After all, there must be a reason why the typical time period to get braces was always during the childhood and teenage years.

Braces absolutely and definitely work on adults. It is the Invisalign invisible braces system is specifically designed for adults more so than children. The Invisalign process involves the use of a series of clear, removable aligner trays that work to gradually straighten the teeth over time without the complications of having metal on teeth.  Having Invisalign braces requires commitment in order for it to work - the patient should wear the aligners as instructed by the orthodontist.

Children and teenagers are less likely to follow such strict rules, which is one of the reasons Invisalign is more prescribed to adults. Since adults choose to invest in braces, they are more bound to do to their part by wearing them, leading to their eventual success.

One major misconception about braces is that its primary function is to make our teeth look nicer. This is far from true. The main goal of having braces is to make the teeth function better by aligning them properly. The teeth becoming more attractive as a result is only a secondary benefit that many definitely appreciate.

Some adults who should be getting braces choose to avoid getting the treatment  thinking that since they've managed to deal with their smiles for so long already that it doesn't make sense to change their appearances later on in life. However, the reality is that any and every adult can stand to benefit from having his teeth properly aligned. So even with the aesthetics angle out of the picture, it still makes sense for an adult to get braces.

The best candidates for Invisalign braces are adults who had braces earlier in life but have their teeth relapse into a more crooked state. It is also recommended for patients with crooked lower teeth. Over time, crooked lower teeth simply become harder and harder to hide, which is the best reason for adults to consider getting braces.

If you've always wanted the benefits of having properly aligned and straighter teeth but are skeptical because of your age, then think again. You can never be too old for braces especially with thousands of Invisalign success stories out there. So no matter what age you are, feel free to make an appointment with an Invisalign specialist, because it's never too late to improve your smile.

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How to Keep Modern Kids Healthy and Fit

In today’s society, parents are finding it harder every day to juggle professional life with family life and their children's diets are suffering. Ready meals and fast food are becoming more and more the chosen place and the result is children becoming unhealthy, lethargic and obese.

Here are 3 tips on how to keep your kids eating healthy and keeping fit:

Fresh fruit and vegetables at the ready.

This is the number one priority for a healthy kids’ diet. For parents, it is quite difficult to get kids to choose the healthy fruit and veggie over junk food like chocolate and chips, but there are ways. Giving fresh fruit smoothies and shakes are perfect for getting the essential nutrition into your child's diet.  Smoothies can even be frozen or made into ice pops or frozen desserts. How about creating fun recipes and names like Avenger Juice or Spidey Shake? This will surely get your child involved and make it easier for them to accept eating fruits.

Outdoor activities.

Let’s not make our children become lazy. Try not to have them just sit and watch TV 24/7. Limit the use of the internet and video games as well since these are contributing to a fast growing generation of overweight and obese children. Make sure they get the exercise they need by doing things together. It doesn't have to be a strict activity but just playing ball down the park or a gentle bike ride now and then is perfect to get them started and will teach them how to keep healthy and fit.

Eat as a family.

Research has proven that families who sit at the kitchen table and eat together regularly have much healthier children than families that don't. This is because parents tend to eat a better diet than the kids, so when parents join the table with their kids, the whole family will be eating the same healthy food served at the same table. Parents can enjoy the same healthy fruit smoothie with their kids together. This is the number one way to teach our children on how to eat healthy.

Teaching your kids how to eat healthy and the importance of exercise is a parent’s duty. Done properly it will ensure your child has a much better chance of avoiding serious illness, such as heart disease and dental problems in later life. Your example will help them get better prepared when it comes to teaching their own children how to keep healthy and active.

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Top 3 Oral Health Tips for Your Kids

Tooth decay is one of the most common chronic infectious diseases among children. This is a problem that can easily be prevented if detected early. Children from 2 to 5 years old can already have decay in their primary or baby teeth.

As your children grow, they will experience having decay in their teeth. Most children who belong to lower income families have twice as much untreated decay than children in families with higher incomes. It is problems such as pain, dysfunction, underweight, and poor appearance can greatly affect a child's capacity to succeed in the educational environment.

A healthy smile is a good indication of a happy child. Oral health experts are all in agreement that developing healthy smiles in children should start as early as infancy. These are some tips for pediatric oral health that if followed will help to prevent any child from suffering the embarrassment of tooth decay.

Start early. As soon as your child’s first tooth appears, start with wiping to clean it daily with a clean, damp cloth. When more teeth come in, switch to a small, soft toothbrush. Use toothpaste with fluoride when your child is 2 years and if your pediatrician recommends it you can use toothpaste with fluoride even earlier.

Supervise. Until your child can handle a toothbrush on his own you should brush his teeth two times daily. Even so, you should continue to keep a watchful eye to make sure your child is doing a thorough job and using only the recommended amount of toothpaste.

Always watch out for initial signs of periodontal disease. Symptoms of this include bleeding gums, swollen and bright red gums or gums that are receding away from the teeth and bad breath.

As a parent try to be a good role model to your child by practicing good oral health care habits. Remember to visit the dentist regularly for cleanings and checkups. 

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How to Get Relief from Painful TMJ

TMJ (temporomandibular joints) connects the tinier jaw to the temporal bone. These joints permit the jaw to move in all directions, smoothly and in a flexible manner whenever you chew or speak.

Having TMJ disorder would result to great amounts of pain in the jaw. The symptoms usually occur when the jaw joint is out of alignment or malfunctioning in some way that causes excessive pressure to build up.

Another symptom of TMJ is when you feel pain in your jaw whenever you swallow, which can be very disturbing since the average person swallows every few minutes. The recommended treatment to jaw pains is to correct the improper bite, thereby removing the pressure in the jaw area, which is present for those who have the TMJ disorder.

The cause for the pain in the jaw is usually due to a high impact or injury. Others, however, are naturally born with a bad bite or displaced disk. Stress is also known to be responsible for aggravating conditions through grinding of the teeth and clenching.

Surgery is a last resort for relief of TMJ pain, but is not a cure-all solution. A person will generally do as well by taking medication for long term instead of having the surgery, although medication comes with other risks that lead to liver damage or complications with the digestive process. If you are suffering from TMJ disorder then the following exercise will be painful, but could help identify the cause behind the pain experienced in the jaw.

Place your fingertips in front of your ears on each side of your head. Then open and close your mouth, you should be able to feel the joint on either side of your head. An alternative process is to place your small finger with the fingernail backwards in the ear canal, and as you open and close your mouth, try pressing your fingers forward and you should be able to feel the motion of your you feel disturbing pain from your jaw, you should seek TMJ treatment right away from a specialist for jaw and neck pain relief or back pain treatment as well.

Stop suffering from TMJ. Speak, eat, and smile with relief by seeking a TMJ specialist.

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Perfecting Your Smile with Teeth Straightening Techniques

Your smile can have a major effect on your life. Perfect smiles aren't just for film stars and other celebrities -  if you can feel confident about yourself and your smile, then you'll feel confident with meeting people from all walks of life, whether at work or in a social situation.

In the past, a dental clinic was a place which you usually visited only as a last resort. For example, if you had bad decay or something like a gum infection which was causing a lot of pain, then you might choose to pay a visit to your dentist. A dental office was a place that dealt with cure rather than prevention, and pain relief rather than anything aesthetic. Today, with improvements in diet and a more hands on attitude towards oral hygiene, people are more into looking after their teeth than they used to be.

This, together with the advances made in the equipment and technology available to orthodontists, has completely altered the role which your dentist now plays. A visit to your local clinic is more likely to be something that you think of as part of a long term plan to make sure that your teeth look as good as they possibly can. Knowing that your smile looks even and white will allow you to move through life feeling confident, at ease, and certain of the good impression that you're making on others.

Tteeth straightening  is now much simpler and less intrusive than it used to be. While it’s true that years ago, braces used to be bulky and unsightly metal items which were difficult to wear and unpleasant to look at, modern dental braces are something entirely different. Your orthodontist will examine your teeth and decide whether you're a suitable candidate for the treatment.

If you are, you will be fitted with braces which are made from ultra thin metal and shaped so as to be as unobtrusive as possible. In some cases, they will actually be fitted to the back of your teeth, meaning that they are totally invisible. Another option is to have clear aligners such as Invisalign, which is very popular with celebrities. The braces used for teeth straightening in California today will do the work they're intended for without impinging upon your social life or employment.

The use of the most modern materials and techniques means that dental problems can be solved with minimal disruption and with maximum benefits. Visit your local clinic and find out just how much they can do for you.

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5 Reasons to Choose Invisalign Over Traditional Braces

Traditional metal-wire braces are soon to be a thing of the past! Invisalign technology is fast becoming the number one dental braces solution in the country. In fact, since 2008 more than 700,000 patients have tried the Invisalign system.

Most dentists know that the Invisalign braces technology is better for their patients than traditional metal braces, which is why they are investing in the training to make the Invisalign braces technology available to their patients.

Here are the top 5 reasons why Invisalign works better for patients than traditional metal-wire braces:

1. More Aesthetically Pleasing

The most obvious benefit of Invisalign clear braces is that they offer you the most aesthetically pleasing way to straighten your teeth. With traditional metal-wire braces you walk around letting other people know that you are in the process of straightening your teeth. Everyone can see your wire braces and this can easily lead to some embarrassing and uncomfortable moments. Metal wires in traditional braces can be the decisive factor in an adult's decision to straighten their teeth. Who would want to walk into a business meeting and try to give a presentation with a mouth full of metal? With Invisalign clear braces you can straighten your teeth and no one will even have to know.

2. More Comfortable

Invisalign clear braces are made with soft plastic trays which are much more comfortable to wear than traditional metal-wire braces. Wire braces have a tendency to snag in the mouth and tear the soft tissues in the cheeks and lips which can be very uncomfortable and painful. Traditional braces can also be painful in the way that they straighten the teeth. Metal braces work by applying pressure to the teeth to gradually shift them into place. Invisalign, however, uses a series of plastic trays that gradually shift your teeth into place, requiring less pressure in the trays than wire braces.

3. Easier to Keep Clean

Traditional wire braces are wired into the patient’s mouth. Therefore, they cannot be removed and must be cleaned around. This can cause inadequate cleaning of the teeth which may lead to poor oral hygiene. The inability to clean the metal braces can also be uncomfortable for the patient. With Invisalign clear braces you can clean your trays and your own teeth for a clean mouth feeling without any hassle, just as if you weren't undergoing treatment at all.

4. No Food Restrictions

With traditional metal braces, you have to restrict your diet so that you don't chew any foods that may harm or get stuck in the metal. Gum and similar sticky foods are not allowed with traditional braces because they can permanently get stuck to the apparatus. Hard to chew foods are also usually restricted because they can damage the metal wires. With Invisalign you can remove the plastic trays while you eat, so there's no fear that you may damage the trays or that you may get anything stuck to the trays. You can straighten your teeth without having to worry about not eating the foods you love.

5. Faster Results

Invisalign system's results are faster than traditional metal braces. Metal braces can take an average of almost 36 months for the treatment to get done. And that's not even the longest that braces may take. Some metal braces can even take up to eight years to straighten your teeth! With Invisalign the treatment takes just about one year at least and eighteen months at the most. Invisalign clear braces are approximately eighteen times faster at the longest treatment length.

Need more info on how Invisalign can give you straighter and more beautiful smiles? Contact your local orthodontist and start scheduling for a consultation.

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Common Emergencies with Braces

Patients who have issues with the arrangement of their teeth will make a decision to undergo treatment with orthodontics. The brackets, wires and rubbers used in orthodontics allow patients straighten their teeth and bring them in the right position. Whether there is rotation, tipping, crossbite, spacing or crowding of the teeth - these could be resolved with braces. The patient chooses to undergo the treatment and he can expect to get a smile makeover from the procedure.

Part and parcel are some treatment emergencies with braces. The mouth that was ordinarily free is now encaged in orthodontic appliance, so you can expect for all kinds of things to go wrong.

Taking Care of Emergencies with Braces

There are all kinds of emergencies that may arise during treatment. It is essential that patients are knowledgeable about what to do in case these happen, to avoid further complication with their case:

Dislodged Brackets. Since the brackets are merely adhered to the teeth using bonding adhesive, you cannot expect it to hold permanently. Food and all other things can dislodge it and when this happens you just need to try to secure the bracket. You can keep it for awhile until your adjustment schedule comes, but if it is bothering you, you can make a decision to have it re-attached.

Wires Impinging Soft Tissue. Sometimes, when the wires shift around the mouth they can poke out beyond the brackets and impinge the tissues. This can be very uncomfortable, especially when the soft tissue has already been lacerated. The extra wire will have to be cut, but do not attempt to do things on your own. See your dentist right away.

Loosened Teeth. The teeth are moved within the jaw by loosening it. The brackets and wires attached to the teeth allow the dentist to move the teeth and when too much pressure is put to the teeth they may be loosened. When this happens, you will need to see your dentist right away so that adjustments may be made. Tension on the appliance may be loosened, contacts may be relieved and in severe cases, bone grafting may be necessary.

Emergencies with braces can happen all the time. Always leave the work to your orthodontist, who has expert knowledge to deal with the problem. Attempting to remedy it may just lead to bigger problems. If you are unable to see a orthodontist, it is just best to stay put and avoid playing or touching any loose component. If possible, you can also try to see another dentist. With the permission of your orthodontist you can try to have a more approximate dentist take care of the problem, so that you can be more comfortable.