Dental emergency
Broken bracket, wire or aligner
Rarely urgent — usually a next-day fix.
First 30 minutes
Do this right now
If a bracket has come off but is still on the wire, leave it. If a wire is poking, cover the end with orthodontic wax (or a small piece of a sugar-free gum eraser). If an aligner has cracked, wear the previous one and call the orthodontist tomorrow.
Find nearest emergency dentistDo
- Cover sharp wire ends with ortho wax
- Keep loose brackets on the wire
- Wear previous aligner if current one cracks
- Call your ortho next business day
Don't
- Don't cut the wire yourself unless it is stabbing tissue
- Don't skip the ortho appointment
- Don't leave a cracked aligner unused
When to go to the ER instead
Only if a wire has punctured the cheek or tongue and won't stop bleeding.
What happens at the dentist
Bracket rebonded, wire trimmed or replaced, aligner reprinted. Most repairs take 15–20 minutes.
Related treatments
Other emergencies
Knocked-out permanent tooth
The single biggest dental emergency — every minute counts.
Chipped or broken tooth
Save the fragment. Cover exposed nerve. See a dentist today.
Severe toothache
Pain that wakes the child up = same-day dental visit.
Dental abscess with swelling
Facial swelling from a tooth is an emergency — same-day, no exceptions.
Soft-tissue injury (cut lip, tongue, cheek)
Mouth wounds bleed dramatically — but heal fast.
Tooth pushed into the gum (intrusion)
A tooth driven into the bone — see a dentist immediately.
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