Displaced teeth due to trauma- call the office (630-369-0045) and use option 4 for emergencies. Broken Wire- place wax or use sugarless gum over sharp spot and call office. Broken Tube-slide off the wire and call office for an appointment. Broken Bracket- use wax, or, remove bracket. To remove loose bracket, use finger to hold bracket base firmly against the tooth and use a sharp toothpick or safety pin to remove the elastic "donut" off all four wings of the bracket. Once the "donut" is off, the bracket will be free to rotate off the wire. iIt may be thrown away. Call office. Trauma to soft tissue- use wax or sugarless gum. A teaspoon of salt in 8 oz. of warm water can be used to rinse with. Headgear or appliance doesn't fit- call office for an appointment Foods to avoid- ice cubes, pen caps, hard candies, cough drops, carmels, frozen candy bars, chewing on mouthguards. REMEMBER, almost all foods are capable of knocking off a bracket or bending an archwire. IT'S NOT WHAT YOU EAT BUT HOW YOU EAT IT THAT IS CRITICAL TO KEEPING THE BRACKETS ON THE TEETH! Cut apples, bagels, carrots, pizza crusts and other hard, chewy foods into small pieces and chew on the back teeth. Be sure to cut meat off the bone from chichen and ribs so the brackets aren't knocked loose. Popcorn can be eaten one or two kernels at a time, making sure that the corn is fully popped.