We hope all of our patients had a great start to the new school year! Now that the dust of the first few weeks has settled you may be remembering "I have all of my school supplies, but what do I need at school for my Braces, Invisalign, or Retainer?"
Never fear- the KO Blog is here to help!
The number one item duo you should always have with you, no matter what type of treatment you're in, is a toothbrush and toothpaste. Brushing is a super important part of your treatment, as food stuck behind wires or trapped in a tray can cause some major problems. We highly recommend brushing for a full 2 minutes after every meal. If you absolutely can't brush, we ask that you vigorously swish with water, and then brush as soon as you're able to.
Grab a zippered pouch and add the following to keep your toothbrush company:
~ Keep some floss handy, or a few Plackers floss picks, to get tough food particles out ASAP.
~ A proxy brush can help get the sides of your brackets cleaner.
~ Always have some wax on hand, incase a wire or bracket decides to start trouble! Wax will help you stay comfortable until you get home or come see us to fix the problem.
~ If elastics are part of your treatment make sure you have an extra bag with you, you'll be changing them out often (every time you eat, brush, etc.).
~ If you have Invisalign trays or a retainer that you need to wear during the day always, ALWAYS, keep it in the case when you take them out to eat or brush. We'll gladly give you an extra case to keep in your backpack so you don't lose anything!
If you ever run out of wax, elastics, or if you need a mouth guard for sports, and it's the weekend or we aren't in the office you normally go to, we have emergency boxes at each office location! We keep them stocked with Ortho essentials plus a few other items (toothbrushes, regular floss, etc.) that you may need in a pinch!
The team at Kennell Orthodontics hopes you all have a great school year, and we'll see you at your next appointment!