Airportho Utrecht
Inchecken bij de orthodontist in Utrecht: Airportho Utrecht

Emergencies

We’re sorry to hear that you are experiencing problems. For urgent cases or cases involving pain, please check at the bottom of this page first to see what you can do to resolve the issue on your own.

If you are unable to resolve the problem yourself, come to the emergency drop-in.This service is solely meant for the elimination of pain and not for the repair of braces. You are welcome to visit our emergency drop-in from Tuesday to Friday; please arrive at 08:00. Do not forget to register using the form at the counter.

If the practice is closed, first check this page to see what you can do yourself. For unsolvable matters that cannot wait until we are open again, call the emergency dental practice (Europaplein 352, 3526 WG in Utrecht)(https://tandartsspoedpraktijk.nl/spoed-tandarts/utrecht/) on telephone number: 0900-8602. You may be told that they do not do orthodontics there, in which case please clearly indicate that you are a patient with us. All our protocols and materials are available there.

The first days with braces

Braces can cause some discomfort in the first days after the placement or check-up appointment; pain is too strong a word. However, everyone has a different pain threshold. There is no need to worry; in the event of too much discomfort, paracetamol can be taken (younger than 12 years: 1 paracetamol 500mg / 12 years or older: 2 paracetamol 500mg). Do not take aspirin; this inhibits tooth movement.

If you have fallen on your teeth or had a hard impact on them with your braces in your mouth, always see your dentist first!

They can check that your teeth are undamaged and that the roots of your teeth are not damaged. Braces usually distribute the forces of a blow and therefore often lead to less damage than without braces in the mouth.

The most common issues with braces

  • Brackets, wires, (separation) elastic bands, chain

    Loose bracket

    1 loose bracket; You do not have to call, you do not have to come to the emergency department and you do not need an appointment at the emergency dental practice. At the next check we will look at what is best in your situation; to replace the lock or not.

    2 or more loose brackets; call the practice as soon as possible for a separate longer appointment to re-tighten the locks (unless an x-ray is taken next time, in which case we will look at what to do at that appointment). We may move your already scheduled check-up appointment to a slightly further away location.

    If you are experiencing pain because part of the bracket is poking into the cheek, it can be covered with a ball of wax. You can also try to remove the bracket. If there is a rubber band connecting the bracket to the wire, you can easily remove it and loosen the bracket. If the loose bracket is on the back molar, the wire can jab the cheek, causing discomfort (see directly below to see what to do in this case).

    Loose protruding wire

    When your teeth have straightened out or moved properly, a wire can become too long and it can irritate your cheek. To avoid damage to your cheek, press a ball of wax or chewed gum onto the end of the wire.

    If this is not enough, you can cut off the protruding piece of wire with a pair of pliers (from the toolbox) or nail clippers. Hold the pliers still to prevent them from removing the brackets. First, clean the pliers well with soap and water. If the pain has been alleviated, a separate appointment is not necessary.

    Piece of metal other than the wire

    Take a toothpick and break it in half. Now use it to push any thin metal wire back in between the teeth so that it does not stick out towards your cheek.

    Loose elastic

    If you are bothered by it, cut the elastic with scissors. You do not need an extra appointment.

  • Loose ring, transpalatal bar (TPA) or fixed bite plate

    Loose ring

    If a ring comes loose, don’t worry; please call the practice during opening hours for an emergency appointment; we usually put the ring back on. Try to keep the ring in place and continue to brush the tooth and the ring thoroughly. If it works; use sugar-free chewing gum to temporarily stabilize the ring. If you wear an outboard bracket in the ring, stop doing so temporarily. If you wear a plate in the upper jaw that rests on the rings and it no longer fits properly, stop wearing the plate for a while. An appointment at the emergency dental practice is not necessary.

    Transpalatal bar (TPA) or fixed bite plate is hanging loose / is out.

    If the TPA or fixed bite plate has come loose and you cannot remove it yourself and it does not bother you: wait until the next regular check-up appointment or come to the emergency room. If it does bother you: make an appointment at the emergency dental practice so that they can fix it or remove it. If you remove it: keep it in a safe place and call us as soon as the practice is open again to replace it. If there is a loose band to which the TPA or fixed bite plate is attached, look further under loose ring.

  • Loose plate or activator (Twin-Block, T-Appliance etc.)

    Removable braces

    Removable or separate braces can sometimes break. Usually, a small piece of plastic has broken off, and in most cases, this is not a problem. If the edge at the break is a little sharp, use a nail file to round it off. If wearing the braces is too uncomfortable, try to keep wearing them as much as possible. If the problem is more serious, come to the emergency drop-in or call for an extra emergency appointment during opening hours and bring the braces with you.

    Sometimes, the metal holding the plate braces in place (via the rings on the upper molars) bend and can then jab the cheek or gums. Use your thumb to bend the end of the wire slightly inwards or outwards.

    In the case of a Twin Block, it is important to always keep wearing the part that is not broken!

  • Herbst, Hyrax or HG (outboard brace)

    Herbst gives trouble.

    A Herbst is a brace that is subject to high forces and that is why we have it made extra sturdy. Despite this, something breaks on a herbst relatively often. 

    Sometimes an Allen screw comes loose and you are left with a loose rod in your mouth. This is very annoying. Have an adult tighten the bars again with the Allen key. If you have not yet received this from us, please come to the emergency room or make an appointment at the emergency dental practice. If you want to turn the Allen key, first place it deep in the Allen key hole. Then support the construction in the jaw half where you turn so that the bracket does not come loose and then tighten the screw again. In the lower jaw this works best when the mouth is kept wide open, in the upper jaw when the mouth is closed as much as possible.

    If it is not possible to tighten the Allen screw again or if a rod is broken, loosen it at the other end and also remove the other rod. Please report to the emergency room on our next working day and we will re-tighten both rods for you.

    If it is not the rods that are loose but the entire Herbst brace (band loose from the tooth), do not come to the emergency room but call for a separate emergency appointment or make an appointment at the emergency dental practice.

    In the case of a herbst with a bottom plate: if there is something wrong with the plate, you can let it out. You can loosen and tighten the screws with an Allen key as described above. Always keep anything that is loose and take it with you to the practice when you come to your (emergency) appointment.

    Hyrax loose

    No problem; we will look at it at the next normal check-up appointment. If you are turning, stop turning until your next check and try to keep the hyrax in place.

    Headgear is loose

    If the outboard brace itself is too loose; you can wear this one time 1 hole tighter on each side + tell this during your next normal check-up appointment. If there is a loose ring to which the outboard bracket is attached: look at loose ring

  • Splint loose or broken

    Loose or broken retainer

    If the orthodontic treatment was completed less than a year ago: try to come and see us within a week. Please call for an appointment during opening hours.

    If the orthodontic treatment was completed more than a year ago: There is no rush, but it is a good idea to have it looked at by your orthodontist or dentist within three weeks; whichever is easier.

    If the retainer feels very sharp, put a ball of wax or a piece of chewed gum on it. Only when this really doesn’t help sufficiently, then you should you cut away only the loose part, without removing the whole retainer. Then the teeth that are still attached to the retainer cannot shift out of place.