Orthodontic Emergency Care in San Francisco

Call us for anything

Even before heading to the ER or urgent care, call us. We can help troubleshoot — and unlike a resident or attending who’s never seen your case, your doctor already knows your history and can guide you to the right questions and the right care.

Common problems and quick fixes

• Loose or broken bracket — if still on the wire and painless, cover with wax and call during office hours. If it comes off, save it and bring it in.
• Poking wire — cover with wax, gently guide it toward the tooth with a cotton swab or eraser, then call.
• Lost or broken aligner — don’t skip ahead. Wear your previous or next-fitting aligner and call us.
• Lost attachment or button — keep wearing aligners/elastics unless told otherwise; call us.
• Broken or lost retainer — wear your last Invisalign tray at night, or your backup retainer if you have one, until we can see you. Call or text us to reorder.
• Loose expander — stop activating it and call; don’t remove or repair it yourself.
• General soreness — normal after adjustments. Take an NSAID (Advil, Motrin — not Tylenol), and try soft foods and warm salt-water rinses.

True emergencies — seek immediate care

Call 911 or go to urgent care for:

• Difficulty breathing or swallowing
• Severe facial swelling or uncontrolled bleeding
• Significant injury to the face, jaw, or teeth
• A knocked-out permanent tooth

Knocked-out or fractured tooth: call your dentist or an emergency dentist first, then call us so we can adjust your treatment.

After hours

Text messages aren’t read until the next business day — for any true emergency, call either office and listen to the voicemail, which will give you the doctor’s cell phone to call immediately. For anything that can wait, text us and someone will respond as soon as possible.

• Laurel Village: (415) 292-2345
• Hayes Valley: (415) 865-1122
• Text Laurel Village
• Text Hayes Valley