After undergoing orthodontic treatment, you need to take care of your mouth plus the orthodontic devices to avoid accidental damage and ensure you stay on course for your treatment. Accidents do happen, however, and if they do, you need to know whether you should seek emergency orthodontic care or set up a normal appointment. Here are four cases where you need emergency care:

Swallowing Pieces of Orthodontics

The risk of swallowing a piece of your braces is low, but it is there. You might swallow a piece of your braces if it breaks loose during a dental trauma (such as collisions during contact sports) or if you put too much biting force on your teeth (think eating hard or crunchy foods).

In many cases, the swallowed object will pass through the digestive tract without any complication. However, complications may arise if the piece isn't expelled during bowel movements. For example, it may get stuck in your aero-digestive tract and cause breathing difficulties. In such cases, seek emergency dental care as soon as possible.

Damaged Orthodontics

It is also advisable to seek emergency dental care if your orthodontics loosen or get damaged. Orthodontics can experience different forms of damage; brackets can loosen, pieces of the material can fall off, and chains may loosen. Such damages interfere with your treatment plan and increase the duration of your treatment, so you need to fix them immediately. Secondly, some damages may leave sharp metal points in your mouth and bruise your oral cavity. There is also a risk of swallowing the broken pieces.

Lost Tooth

The shape of your jaw, the number of teeth you have, and the shape of your individual teeth are all factors that determine how your orthodontics is designed. This is the only way to ensure that the orthodontics fit you and your treatment progresses properly. Therefore, if you lose a tooth during the treatment process, it may interfere with the fit of your orthodontics, and by extension, your treatment plan. Consulting your orthodontist will help you fix the damage and get your treatment back on track as soon as possible.

Unexpected Side Effects or Complications

Lastly, you also need emergency dental care if you start experiencing unexpected complications or if the initial discomfort associated with your treatment don't fade away with time. For example, if your gums swell, start to bleed or if you feel pain in your mouth, see an orthodontist for diagnosis and treatment.

Contact a dentist like Clendenon Kirby DDS for more information and assistance.