Congratulations, your orthodontic treatment is complete! You are now in the retention phase of treatment. This can also be known as the preservation period, because you will actively be working towards preserving your new smile. When treatment is complete and orthodontic appliances are removed, there is a “settling” period in which teeth can adjust as you bite, chew, swallow and speak. These small changes in tooth position are not a failure of orthodontic treatment, but a natural process.

Your orthodontist will give you a set of retainers to be worn as prescribed. If your retainer is not worn as your orthodontist recommends, then you may have large changes in tooth position. This can be disappointing after you dedicate many months to orthodontic treatment. If you are in the retention phase of treatment and you notice any unwanted change, it is important to contact your orthodontist right away.

Retainers are a lifelong commitment. The best way to maintain your beautiful new smile is to wear retainers as prescribed by your orthodontist!

We are excited to resume normal operations on May 18, 2020!

We can’t wait to see all of our patients once again!  These past few weeks have been quite challenging for ALL of us, but we’ll make it through and be stronger because if it.  All of our patients’ appointments are currently being confirmed, so rest assured if you have not been contacted, you will be.

While the office has been closed, we’ve been working hard behind the scenes to ensure we can reopen safely and efficiently.  We have always taken pride in the cleanliness of our office and our strict adherence to infection control standards, and we will continue to provide comfortable, safe, and effective orthodontic care as we resume our regular business hours.

Kennell Orthodontics follows the infection control recommendations made by the American Dental Association (ADA), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA.)  We stay up to date on all new rulings and guidance issued to ensure we’re adhering to the most current information and recommendations.

However, as you might imagine, we are going to be taking additional safety measures to help protect both our patients and our team.

Here are a few changes we have implemented in the office:

We will be calling patients the day before the appointment to confirm the appointment time and ask a few screening questions.  You’ll be asked these same questions again when you enter the office.

*** Please RE-SCHEDULE your appointment if you feel sick, have a fever, or have been in contact with someone who has been sick in the last 14 days. ***

We ask that everyone entering the building please wear a mask or other acceptable facial covering.

Please do your best to arrive at your scheduled appointment time – not too early and [please!] not late.

• If you arrive early, we ask that you wait outside the office until your scheduled appointment time.
• If you are more than 10 minutes late, please call the office to let us know so that we can determine the best time to see you.

The Sign-In screen [and finger scanner] have been temporarily disabled to minimize touching/contamination. Please let the Front Desk Team know when you arrive so they can check you in.

Upon checking-in, a team member will greet you in order to perform a Wellness Screening consisting of a brief Questionnaire, Consent Form, Temperature Check (non-contact), and Hand Sanitizer.

There will also be hand sanitizer available in the reception area and other places around the office for you to use as needed.

Our Team will be wearing enhanced Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) including clinical jackets, face shields, enhanced face masks, and safety glasses.  This may vary depending on the risk level of the procedure(s) we are performing.

We have adjusted our schedule as to allow more time between patients in an effort to adhere to social distancing by reducing the number of people in the reception area at one time. This may result in fewer scheduling options for your appointment.

Although sitting in the waiting area will most likely notbe necessary, please do your best to allow ample social distance from others that may also be sitting in the waiting area.

We ask that only 1 adult accompany their child into the office for their scheduled appointment.

Teen and adult patients should come alone, unless a parent/spouse/etc.. has a question for Dr. Kennell about the patient’s treatment.  We ask that everyone else please wait comfortably outside or in your vehicle.

Sadly, the X-Box games and Photo Booth will be off-limits until further notice.

We are no longer offering magazines or other reading materials in the reception area, these items are difficult to keep clean and disinfected.

For now, our Toothbrushing Station is a Handwashing Station.  Please remember to brush your teeth (and floss!) at home, before coming to your appointment.  If you need to brush at the office, we will provide you with a pre-pasted disposable toothbrush to use in the restroom.

Let’s keep all office talk positive and have fun together - safely!

We’re coming up with cool ways to say hello with “virtual hugs” and “virtual handshakes”!

We will still have fun prizes, contests and giveaways! - Follow us on Facebook and Instagram!

If you have any questions about your child’s treatment progress or the steps we’re taking to keep you safe, we’re happy to answer them!  You can email us at info@kennellortho.com or give us a call (603) 524-7404.

Thank you for sticking with us through these uncertain times!  You are family to us, and we appreciate you so much.  We can’t wait to see you all in the office again soon!

Keep smiling and stay safe,

Dr. Kennell and The Kennell Ortho Team

THE DANGERS OF MAIL ORDER ALIGNERS

Over the last decade, clear braces and clear aligners have increased in popularity. Many people want to improve their smile, and they want it done without traditional metal braces. 

What Are Mail Order Aligners?

According to the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO), orthodontic treatment is a medical service - not a device or product. Since products like Invisalign can be costly, some companies offer alternatives that are available online directly to the consumer for a fraction of the cost of traditional braces. Instead of going into your orthodontist’s office, the online company will send you an at-home impression kit for you to take your own impressions. This can be difficult for someone to do at home with no prior knowledge of how to take dental impressions. Once the impressions are sent back to the company they are reviewed to see if the consumer is a candidate for the treatment. Unfortunately the criteria to be eligible for treatment isn’t very thorough and many patients are accepted despite the fact that they have active dental decay or gum disease.

What Are The Dangers of Mail Order Aligners?

As a consumer it’s important to know that any “do it yourself” dental treatment can come with many potential risks. In an orthodontic office you have a comprehensive exam to see if there are any health concerns that should be addressed before you are treated. You are also evaluated to see what types of treatment would give you the best result. Not all cases can be treated with clear aligners. Many underlying issues can be overlooked when you are just mailing in impressions and photos to an online company. This is why it is important to have an orthodontist’s supervision at every stage of your treatment. 

Is Your Smile Worth The Discount?

With at-home orthodontic treatment, your progress isn’t being closely monitored. Moving teeth too fast can result in serious problems. Routine X-rays should be done during treatment to make sure that your teeth and bone remain healthy. The AAO warns, “Orthodontic treatment involves the movement of biological material, which if not done correctly could lead to potentially irreversible and expensive damage such as tooth and gum loss, changed bites, and other issues.” Everyone deserves a healthy smile that they can be proud of, and it is important to choose a qualified orthodontist that can safely help you get the best result.

http://www.aaoinfo.org

As much as we hate to admit it, August is a reminder in a couple of weeks, Back to School activities will be in full swing!  Kennell Orthodontics wants to send your children back to school prepared for school life with braces or new orthodontic treatments. Pack your child their very own "Back to School with Braces" kit - something as simple as a ziplock plastic bag including items such as:  Orthopicks, orthodontic rubber bands, mini toothbrush and toothpaste, orthodontic wax, small mirror, floss, retainer case and tissues. This kit can easily be tucked into their backpack or locker and will help as a reminder of orthodontic care even when at school.  Start the school year off right with these reminders:

• bring retainer cases to lunch room and keep retainer in it to avoid accidentally throwing it away with lunch trash;
• always wear protective mouth guard for all fall sports - this will help prevent brackets from breaking and inner lip from rubbing against braces.

Stay ahead of the Back to School shopping rush by preparing these orthodontic kits now - kick back and enjoy the last weeks of summer!!

Once braces come off we know it is exciting to see how great your new smile looks.  And you want to keep it that way, right?  However, some patients forget how important it is to wear their retainers to maintain that beautiful smile after orthodontic treatment is complete.  At Kennell Orthodontics, we give specific instructions to all of our patients on how to properly wear retainers.  Typically, retainers are worn 24/7 for the first three days after braces are removed, then just during sleep thereafter.

Retainers must be worn for life in order to maintain the teeth in position.  Minor tooth movement can occur throughout life, which is why we strongly encourage our patients to always wear their retainers.  Oh - and remember to keep those retainers away from the dog.  Dogs don't just eat your homework, they eat retainers too!