Would you be concerned in this case?

[kattiar]

On saturday night, after I'd finished my teeth cleaning routine, I noticed a piece of food stuck in the middle (inside the little groove) of one of my ceramic brackets. I spent probably close to an hour trying to remove it - brushing, using those little christmas tree brushes, water flosser, using my nail, tongue & swishing water around my mouth... all to no avail.

Fast forward to Monday afternoon and it is STILL there. I called my ortho to ask them what to do and they advised me to go through the routine I've already mentioned. They then proceed to tell me that there are no appointments available for two weeks?! I realise they are busy - but am I wrong to believe they should fit me in somewhat soonish? Ie, in the next few days to get this food out so I don't develop a cavity? Not to mention it is one of my front teeth so it is quite noticeable.
It would probably take one of the techs a few seconds to remove it

Also.. please don't say its the ligature --- I know the difference. It is stuck above and behind that area.
Thanks for your input

[Seasaltmind]

Maybe a dentisr can remove it instead of an orthodontist.

[kattiar]

I have already made an appointment to see my dentist asap, thanks for the suggestion though.
The problem is I will have to pay to see my dentist... and technically this is an issue related to my braces - something I've already paid my ortho to manage. So I'm a little annoyed that I now have to see my dentist and get charged extra to sort this out. Especially after I just saw the dentist two weeks ago for a routine cleaning! Ahah.

To clarify, i'm mainly wanting feedback on whether other people would be annoyed by the way the orthodontist's office has handled this issue.

[verso]

I'd be a little peeved, yeah. I don't think it's unreasonable to presume or expect that your orthodontist will fit you in relatively soon-ish for things like this, things that would be quick and easy for them to fix. It's like a ligature change.

[lambchop]

Honestly, if it's up against and inside your bracket, the chance of decay, especially in a couple of weeks, is slim. I realize it's annoying, but I'll bet it will work itself out within a couple of days of normal wear and tear and brushing. It always took several days to get into my ortho with a problem, and after almost 5 years in braces, what seemed like an emergency in the beginning, was just par for the course...

[sirwired]

Decay is caused by digestible carbohydrates, and it's doubtful that there exists any such carb that would not dissolve relatively quickly. A bit of meat stuck up there? That'll smell and stick around a while, but isn't really plaque-causing.

But a popcorn hull wedged under your gum? That could do some damage through simple mechanical trauma if left too long.

I do agree that it does seem unreasonable that they can't work you in for two minutes with a dental pick.

(Pro tip: You can get dental picks easily from Amazon; while I don't suggest using them for routine care as a substitute for dental appointments, they can be useful for braces-wearers for situations like this.)

[Pixelada]

When I see food stuck in the groove of the ceramic bracket (under the wire), I go ahead and open the little gate and pop the wire out, clean the bracket then put the wire back and close the gate. It's very easy.

[kattiar]

Thanks for the responses
Because I'm still fairly new to this process I wasn't certain whether this was standard practice (two week waits for something that could cause decay and would take two seconds to fix). Hence the question for clarification!
I might discuss it with my ortho next time, explain what happened and how easily it was fixed (dentist removed it in 2 seconds)... and just see what she says. Sometimes the reception staff become a serious communication barrier!

[Beckett]

When I see food stuck in the groove of the ceramic bracket (under the wire), I go ahead and open the little gate and pop the wire out, clean the bracket then put the wire back and close the gate. It's very easy.

That would only work if the OP has self ligating brackets and it sounds like they have standard brackets with ligatures.

To the OP, get to a pharmacy and find a set of fine dental tools and use the pointiest one in the set to work the food out. Also, two weeks seems ridiculous. This is something that could take less than 5 minutes to fix in the office.