When you wear braces, you typically visit your orthodontist at Twin Cities Dental or another dentist every few weeks for an adjustment. These regular appointments are a good chance to ask your orthodontist questions or bring up minor issues you might be having, such as getting food stuck in the braces or struggling to brush a certain area. There are times, however, when it's worth scheduling another appointment with your orthodontist ASAP rather than just waiting for your next adjustment. Here are a few of those times.

You have a loose or broken bracket.

The ceramic or metal brackets that sit on each one of your teeth should remain fixed to the surface of your teeth. They have been cemented there. If one of the brackets becomes loose, you can have a hard time chewing properly or brushing your teeth. A bracket may become loose when you bite into something too hard or hit your mouth on something. This is reason to call your orthodontist ASAP since you won't be able to eat properly until you have the bracket reattached.

A wire is scraping you.

Sometimes the little sharp edges of the wire may rub on your cheek. You can typically put a bit of wax on the sharp spot to alleviate the pain. But if a wire actually snaps and breaks, leaving a long strand that keeps poking you in spite of using wax, you need to see your orthodontist. 

You have really bad jaw aches.

A little aching in your jaw is pretty normal after you have your braces adjusted. Take some ibuprofen, hold some ice against your cheek, and wait it out. If the aches are really serious and do not respond to pain relievers, however, you should call your orthodontist. There is a chance that they over-tightened your braces and need to adjust them back a little bit to ease the tension.

Your braces have badly cut your mouth.

If you broke a brace or it is otherwise digging into your cheek very badly, it's a good idea to see your orthodontist, especially if the injured spot keeps bleeding, makes it tough to chew, or is really swollen. The orthodontist may tell you that what you are going through is normal, but they may also find that your braces need to be adjusted to reduce irritation; it's worth a check so that you don't have to remain in pain endlessly for no reason.

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