Starting a new school year comes with a lot of change; a new classroom, classmates, and teacher, different extracurriculars and new schedules. If your child started orthodontic treatment over the summer, going back to school with braces or Invisalign adds more newness to the daily routine.
Here are our orthodontic tips for an easier back-to-school experience with your braces or Invisalign.
1. Keep your aligner case on hand: If Invisalign treatment was part of summer break for your child, you’ve likely been working to make sure that their aligner case is attached to their hip. We recommend that folks in Invisalign treatment carry these cases with them all the time. Because it’s so easy to remove Invisalign aligners – when eating, drinking and snacking, speaking, playing an instruments or whatever the need may be – they’re a frequent choice for orthodontic patients. However, because they’re so easy to remove, they’re also so easy to lose! We’ve had many patients call us after they lost their aligners. Never place your aligners in a napkin, on a lunch tray, in your pocket, or on a table while you eat. They are lightweight and practically clear, making it very easy to toss them out with your after-lunch trash. Carrying the aligner case with you gives a reliable place to store your Invisalign trays so they are easier to keep track of.
2. Carry your tooth brush, toothpaste, and floss close by: If your child started braces treatment during summer break, learning to care for the braces, and their mouth with the braces, is a learning process. One of the most important orthodontic tips for patients is maintaining good oral hygiene. For braces patients, this means brushing well after each meal or snack and flossing once a day. Carrying your tooth brush, tooth paste and floss close by means that the items will be on hand when they’re needed. Good habits are more likely to form if executing them is easy. By carrying your hygiene materials on your person, it’s more likely that you’ll brush your teeth after lunch, versus if your materials are in a locker five minutes away – or worse, at home during the school day.
3. Avoid chewing on pens, pencils, other school supplies or hard objects: This is a common habit when students are anxious or bored. With or without braces or Invisalign, the habit of chewing on pencils can damage your teeth. It puts unnecessary stress on your teeth and can lead to tooth chipping or fracturing. This habit may also injure the gums and other soft tissue in the mouth, causing swelling. When you have braces, there’s an extra risk. These objects can put pressure on your brackets and loosen or pop them off your teeth. Popped brackets mean emergency ortho appointments, and no one wants that!
