What to do when a wire pokes or a bracket breaks, what you can and cannot eat, and how to keep teeth clean with braces on. The practical answers patients call the front desk for — written down so they are there at 9 pm on a Saturday.
Medically reviewed by Dr. Andy Higham, DDS, MS, orthodontist — East Idaho Orthodontics. Last reviewed October 2026.
Orthodontic Emergencies in Idaho Falls: What to Do Now
Most orthodontic "emergencies" are uncomfortable but not urgent, and almost all of them can be managed at home until the next business day. Call East Idaho Orthodontics at (208) 524-0644 (John Adams Parkway) or (208) 932-0433 (West office) during hours; outside them, leave a voicemail or call the on-call line. Go to an emergency room only for facial trauma, uncontrolled bleeding or a suspected jaw fracture — not for a broken bracket.
Key takeaways
- Almost every orthodontic "emergency" can be managed at home until the next business day.
- Wax for poking wires; leave a loose bracket on the wire; call the same day for a lost retainer.
- After hours, leave a voicemail or call the on-call line. Emergency visits are included in the fee.
What to do for each problem
| PROBLEM | DO THIS NOW | THEN |
|---|---|---|
| Wire poking cheek or gum | Push it flat with a clean pencil eraser, or cover the end with orthodontic wax. If it cannot be moved, clip it with clean nail clippers as a last resort. | Call — we will trim it. Not urgent. |
| Bracket broken or loose | Leave it on the wire if it is still attached; cover it with wax if it rubs. Do not try to remove it. | Call — we re-bond it at a short visit. Seen promptly it adds little or no time; left for weeks it stalls that tooth. |
| Lost or broken aligner tray | Go back to the previous tray, or move to the next one if you are near the end of the current one. Call. | We tell you which tray to wear and whether a replacement is needed. |
| Lost or broken retainer | Wear any other retainer you have. Call the same day — teeth can shift within days. | Under the ten-year program, a replacement clear retainer is $30. |
| Soreness after an adjustment | Normal for 2–3 days. Soft food, cold water, over-the-counter pain relief. | Call if it lasts beyond a week. |
| Expander key stuck or turned wrong | Do not force it. Stop turning. | Call — we check and reset. |
| Swallowed a bracket or piece of wire | Almost always passes without harm. | Call if you have any difficulty breathing or persistent pain. |
| Tooth knocked loose or out (trauma) | Put a knocked-out tooth in milk, keep it moist, and go to a dentist or ER within the hour. | Call us after — braces can be adjusted around the injury. |
When to call versus when to wait
Call the same day for anything that is cutting the cheek or gum, a lost retainer, or an aligner you cannot wear. Everything else can wait for the next business day and usually until the next scheduled visit — just tell us at the front desk when you arrive. If you are in real doubt, call; the front desk will tell you.
Weekends and after hours
Neither office is open on Saturday. After hours and on weekends, call the office and leave a voicemail, or call the on-call line for anything that cannot wait. A poking wire, a loose bracket or a lost retainer can be managed with the steps above until the next business day.
Frequently asked questions
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No — both East Idaho Orthodontics offices are closed on Saturday. Call the on-call line for anything urgent; almost everything else can safely wait until Monday with the steps above.
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Yes. Records are shared between both Idaho Falls offices; go to whichever can see you sooner.
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No, but leaving it for weeks stalls that tooth. Call within a few days.
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No. Emergency visits for patients in treatment are included in the treatment fee.
What Can You Eat With Braces?
Almost everything, cut smaller. The foods to avoid with braces are the hard, sticky and chewy ones that bend wires or pop brackets off: ice, hard candy, nuts, popcorn, caramel, taffy, gum, whole apples and corn on the cob. Pizza, burgers, pasta, meat, most fruit and vegetables are fine — cut into bites rather than bitten into. A broken bracket seen promptly adds little or no time to treatment, but one left for weeks stalls that tooth — which is the only reason the list matters. Clear aligner patients have no restrictions because the trays come out to eat.
Key takeaways
- Almost everything, cut smaller. Avoid hard, sticky and chewy foods.
- Soft, cool foods for the first few days and after adjustments.
- A broken bracket seen promptly costs little time; one left for weeks stalls that tooth.
Avoid, fine, and fine-if-you-cut-it
| AVOID | FINE IF CUT UP OR SOFTENED | ALWAYS FINE |
|---|---|---|
| Ice, hard candy, jawbreakers | Apples, pears, carrots — sliced | Pasta, rice, soft breads |
| Popcorn, nuts, seeds | Corn — off the cob | Meat, fish, eggs |
| Caramel, taffy, gummies, gum | Crusty bread, pizza crust — torn | Cheese, yoghurt, soft fruit |
| Beef jerky, hard pretzels | Raw celery — chopped | Cooked vegetables, soups |
| Biting nails, pens, ice | Steak — cut small | Smoothies, ice cream |
The first week and after adjustments
Teeth are sore for two to three days after braces go on and for a day or two after each adjustment. Soft, cool foods help: yoghurt, smoothies, mashed potatoes, pasta, soup, scrambled eggs, ice cream. Cold water eases soreness; very hot food does not. Most patients are back to a normal diet within a week.
Sugar and braces
Braces do not cause cavities; sugar trapped around braces does. Sodas and sports drinks are the main culprits because they bathe the brackets in acid and sugar. If you drink them, use a straw and rinse with water afterward. Decalcification marks — white patches around where brackets were — are permanent.
If something breaks anyway
Leave a loose bracket on the wire, cover anything sharp with wax, and call. It is not urgent, but the sooner it is re-bonded the less time it costs.
Frequently asked questions
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Yes — tear or cut the crust rather than biting into it.
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Better not. Sugar-free gum is less damaging than sticky candy but still bends wires and sticks to brackets.
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Soft chips in small bites, yes. Hard tortilla chips and pretzels, no.
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No restrictions. Take the trays out, eat, brush, put them back in.
How to Brush and Floss With Braces
Brush after every meal and before bed — at least three times a day — angling the brush above and below the brackets so the bristles reach the gumline, and floss once a day with a threader, an orthodontic flosser or a water flosser. Two minutes with a fluoride toothpaste is enough when the angle is right. The reason it matters: plaque left around brackets causes decalcification, permanent white patches that appear the day the braces come off. Keeping regular six-month dental cleanings during treatment is part of the plan.
Key takeaways
- Brush three times a day, angled above and below the brackets; floss daily.
- A water flosser is the tool most people actually keep using.
- White spots after braces are permanent and preventable — angle, frequency, fewer sodas.
Brushing, step by step
Rinse first to loosen food.
Angle the brush down at 45° to clean above the brackets along the gumline; then angle up to clean below them.
Brush the brackets themselves, then the chewing surfaces and the inside of the teeth.
Look in a mirror — brackets should look shiny, not dull. Dull means plaque.
Two minutes, three times a day. An electric brush is faster, not required.
Flossing options
| TOOL | HOW IT WORKS | BEST FOR |
|---|---|---|
| Floss threader | Threads regular floss under the wire, one tooth at a time | Thorough; slow |
| Orthodontic flosser (e.g. Platypus) | Pre-threaded, slides under the wire | Teens; speed |
| Water flosser | Pulsing water jet around brackets and under the wire | Everyone; also cleans around expanders and bonded retainers |
| Interdental brushes | Tiny brushes between brackets | Between-meal cleanup |
The white spots, and how to avoid them
Decalcification is the enamel losing minerals under plaque. It shows as chalky white shapes around where each bracket sat, and it does not fully reverse. It happens almost entirely in patients who brush once a day or skip the gumline. The fix is not harder brushing; it is the angle, the frequency, and cutting sodas. We check at every visit and will tell you early if it is starting.
Cleaning with clear aligners
Brush and floss normally with the trays out; rinse the trays with cool water and brush them gently with a soft brush and no toothpaste. Never hot water. Never eat or drink anything but water with them in.
Frequently asked questions
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About two minutes, three times a day. Longer if you are not angling the brush.
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Yes — every six months, as usual. Tell the hygienist you are in treatment.
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For braces, it is close and far more likely to actually get used. We recommend it.
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Any fluoride toothpaste. Whitening pastes are fine but will not whiten under the brackets, so wait until treatment ends.
Ready to talk it through?
Consultations at East Idaho Orthodontics are free, take about an hour, and end with a written plan and an exact price. Request a free consultation.
Related: Braces · Orthodontic Resource Center