To stay on Dr. Kennell's good side this fall, make sure to follow these Halloween Guidelines to insure your braces stay secure. It is important to keep your teeth healthy this Halloween as well!
Here is what to AVOID when you go trick-or-treating:
Taffy
Caramels
Starbursts
Jellybeans
Licorice/Twizzlers
Candy Corn
Bubblegum
Tootsie Pops/Lollipops
Hard/Chewy Candy
Here is what you CAN eat after trick-or-treating:
Chocolate that does not contain caramel or nuts
Kit Kats
3 Musketeers
Mounds
York Patties
Reese's Cups
We do not wish to turn you away from celebrating Halloween just because you have braces. It is always fun to dress up and go Trick-or-Treating, just make sure you do it the braces-friendly way. There are still plenty of candies to enjoy with your braces. With that being said, the overall health of your teeth matters too! So, after enjoying your candy for the night make sure to thoroughly brush and floss! If you do make a mistake and eat something you are supposed to and a bracket comes off, please let us know ASAP!
Did you just get your braces and forget to ask for a mouthguard for your football game this Saturday?!
Have you ever ran out of elastics and your appointment isn't for another few weeks?
Are you in need of wax, but the KO team is in a different office the day you are in need?
Well... we have a solution for you!
At each office (Laconia, Littleton, and Plymouth) the KO team has an Emergency Box that is titled "Orthodontic Supplies." This box is stocked with everything you might need when you are not able to come IN the office (Mondays, Weekends). Please help yourself to anything you might need.
The Emergency Box includes: All 3 types of Floss, Toothbrushes, Elastics, Mouthguards, Wax, Proxy Brushes.
You are welcome to these supplies at anytime. Of course, if it is emergency greater than just needing wax or a mouthguard you can always call us on our Emergency Line when the office is closed. Leave your name and phone number and we will assist you as soon as we can!
In Laconia the Emergency Box is located on the front porch next to the front door. In Plymouth, it is near the parking lot on the backside of our mailboxes. In Littleton, it is at the bottom of the ramp, behind the mailboxes.
The start of the new school year is approaching whether we like it or not! For any newbies that got their braces, or started Invisalign treatment this summer, this post is especially for YOU!
For Invisalign aligners - wear them all day at school. Only take them out to eat and have any drinks that are not water. Make sure you have your aligner case with you so that you do not leave them laying on a paper towel (they will get thrown away or damaged!)
After lunch, you will want to brush your teeth before putting your Invisalign aligners back in! Bringing a hygiene kit with you to school might be a really good idea. This will be useful for patients with braces as well! Your hygiene kit for Invisalign should include a tooth brush and toothpaste, floss, a removal tool, and "chewies" to ensure you can take out and put in your aligners seamlessly.
For your hygiene kit for braces, it should include both a toothbrush and toothpaste, floss, proxy brushes for to get the bigger chunks of food under your wire, maybe some wax incase your brackets are starting to bother your lips or cheeks, and definitely ChapStick as your lips will get dry with braces or Invisalign.
If anything is ever broken or bothering you, make sure to give us a call! We are open after school hours and can be available for you to make sure your treatment is progressing in the most efficient way possible!
Taking care of your teeth is a big responsibility and can be forgotten along with the other responsibilities during school too. Just remember how important it is to maintain having healthy teeth while in treatment! If you follow these steps you should be just fine!
Kennell Orthodontics wishes you a great school year!
Social media and the internet are the best and fastest ways to get our information these days. But, what we see is not always TRUE. Here are some fads that have surfaced on the internet that you should not believe or follow.
DIY Braces. There has been a trend of doing your own braces for a fraction of the cost and a fraction of the time. As much as that sounds tempting it will also be a fraction of the quality and a fraction of the knowledge that you will have from a trusted orthodontist. Please do NOT participate in this. This will only cause more problems to your overall dental health.
Do NOT try at home!
Mewing. This is the practice of doing chewing exercises to maintain proper positioning of the tongue and strengthen the jaw muscles. This is more of a holistic kind of treatment that is believed to change facial shape and creates more space for teeth to align. Unfortunately there is no way to prove that this actually works. You are better off saving your time and energy by visiting your local trusted orthodontist for a consult!
Removing your brackets with a spoon or any other at-home tools has been trendy on Tik Tok. Whatever you do, NEVER remove your brackets on your own. This can cause extreme damage to your teeth in many ways. Orthodontists use special tools in office to remove the brackets and to also remove glue in a specific way.
To conclude, do not believe everything you see online. Unfortunately it can be so easy to want to follow a trend. A short video doesn't always show the aftermath or damage that happens in reality! Stay safe and leave it to your orthodontist! It will be worth it in the end!
