Frequently asked questions

Broken brackets and attachments can occur during treatment, so there’s no need to worry. In many cases, this can be repaired at your next scheduled appointment. Please let us know what has happened so we can advise whether you need to be seen sooner.

This can occasionally happen as your teeth move during treatment. If the wire is causing significant discomfort, contact us to arrange a comfort visit to get this repaired as soon as possible. In the meantime, you can place a small amount of orthodontic wax over the area to protect your cheek.

In most cases, a small orthodontic component that has been swallowed will pass through the digestive system safely without causing any problems.

Please let us know what has happened so we can advise you appropriately. If you feel unwell or experience pain, have difficulty breathing or swallowing, or develop any other concerning symptoms (which is very rare), seek urgent medical advice.

Yes. Some soreness or tenderness after an adjustment is completely normal and usually settles within a few days. It is often most noticeable during the first 24–48 hours.

If needed, you can take an appropriate over-the-counter painkiller, such as paracetamol, provided you are normally able to take it.

If the discomfort is severe, persists, or you have any concerns, please contact us.

Ulcers and areas of soreness can occur while your mouth is adapting to your braces.

Orthodontic wax can help protect areas that are rubbing, while warm salt water rinses may help soothe the area and support healing.

These usually settle as your mouth adjusts to the treatment. If you have a persistent or particularly painful ulcer, please contact us for advice.

Don’t worry, but please contact us as soon as possible.

Depending on your treatment stage, we may advise you to move to your next aligner or temporarily wear your previous aligner while we guide you further through Dental Monitoring. Try not to leave your teeth without an aligner unless we have specifically advised you to do so, as teeth can begin to move and treatment progress may be lost.

Sometimes aligners don’t seat fully at first. Try using your aligner chewies for a few minutes to help the aligner fit better. If it still does not feel right, send us a scan through Dental Monitoring so our team can check the fit and advise you.

Yes. Attachments can feel sharp or noticeable when they are first placed, but your mouth will usually adapt after a few days. If an attachment continues to feel particularly uncomfortable or is causing persistent irritation, please contact us so we can check it and make sure everything stays on track.

If the broken part of the retainer is still attached, try to avoid playing with it or pulling it away from the tooth. Avoid hard or sticky foods around the affected area.

If you have a removable retainer, wear it as instructed in the meantime to help maintain your tooth position. It is important to have a broken bonded retainer checked promptly, as teeth can begin to move if they are no longer being retained, so contact us as soon as possible to arrange a repair.

No need to worry, this can happen sometimes. We can arrange a replacement clear retainer for you. A replacement Essix retainer costs £150 per arch and usually takes approximately one week to be made by the laboratory. Please contact us to confirm whether you need a replacement for your upper arch, lower arch, or both.

Mild soreness is common, particularly when you first start wearing elastics. However, stopping them without speaking to us can slow your treatment progress. If the discomfort is severe or does not improve, please contact us so we can advise you and, if necessary, arrange for your clinician to check everything.

Elastics are an important part of your treatment and are crucial for correcting your bite. Not wearing them as advised by your clinician can prolong your treatment and affect the final result. Think of them as teamwork between you and us — your commitment helps us achieve the best outcome for you.

Unless your clinician has advised otherwise, elastics are usually worn full-time, including while sleeping, and only removed when instructed. The more consistently they’re worn, the faster and more accurately your bite will improve. Removing them for long periods can slow your progress. If you are unsure how often you should be wearing yours, please contact us.

Teeth can sometimes appear more crooked or uneven at certain stages of treatment as they move into new positions. While it could look worrying in the short term, this can be part of the normal and planned process. Teeth often need to move out of the way before they move into their final positions.

If you are concerned about a particular area, please send us a photograph so we can check with your clinician.

Gaps can sometimes appear during orthodontic treatment as your teeth are repositioned. In many cases, these spaces are expected to close during a later stage of treatment. If you are concerned about a new gap, send us a photograph so we can check it with your clinician.

Bleeding or swollen gums are often a sign that plaque is building up around the braces or attachments. Improving your brushing and flossing around these areas can help reduce inflammation. If your gums continue to bleed or remain swollen despite good oral hygiene, we recommend arranging a hygiene appointment with us.

Yes. We encourage all patients to continue attending their general dentist for routine check-ups and regular hygiene appointments throughout orthodontic treatment. If you need additional dental treatment, such as a filling, your dentist may need to liaise with us to ensure your orthodontic treatment and dental treatment work smoothly together.

If you wear fixed braces: usually your dentist needs your bracket removed in the area, or your wire removed, to complete your dental work smoothly. Please let us know when your filling is scheduled so we can arrange an appointment beforehand if the area needs to be prepared.

If you wear aligners: please take your current aligners with you to your dental appointment. Your dentist can check that they still fit correctly after the filling. Most of the time there are no problems. However, if your aligner feels unusually tight or no longer fits properly afterwards, please contact us. We may need to check the fit or arrange a refinement scan.

That’s no problem at all. Just make sure you take any elastics, aligners or Dental Monitoring kit with you. If anything breaks while you’re away, WhatsApp us and we’ll advise.

We also recommend taking some orthodontic wax with you in case anything becomes uncomfortable while you are away. If something breaks during your holiday, contact us and we’ll advise you on what to do until you can be seen.

For information about your account or outstanding balance, please email our finance team at finance@orchardortho.com. The team will review your account and get back to you. Please allow approximately 48 hours for a response.

Don’t worry. Please email our accounts team at finance@orchardortho.com and they will advise you on the next steps to bring your account up to date.

Please email finance@orchardortho.com with details of the charge you are querying. Our finance team will review your account and get back to you. Please allow approximately 48 hours for a response.