What About My Braces During COVID-19?

With the rapid spread of COVID-19 forcing many orthodontic and dental offices to temporarily close, it is more important now than ever to practice good oral hygiene. Although we may not be sure exactly when our practice will be able to open its doors again, your smile is still our priority. For those currently undergoing orthodontic treatment, the orthodontic practice of Dr. Dennis Flanagan DDS MS can help. Here are a few ways in which you can maintain good oral hygiene and until your next orthodontic appointment:

• Keep your teeth/braces clean – Continue to brush your teeth at least 3 times per day, and floss at least once per day.
• Continue to wear any elastic rubber bands as prescribed – If you need more, please contact our office for instructions on how to receive them.
• Avoid foods that aren’t recommended with braces – This is no time to slack off. Continue to avoid eating hard, crunchy, sticky foods. These foods WILL eventually break your brackets and damage wires. As long as your brackets are bonded to your teeth and your wires are in one piece, your braces will continue to work/retain positive progress.
• Use orthodontic wax to alleviate any discomfort caused by long or poking wires – If you need more, please contact our office. We also encourage you to check with your local Walgreens or CVS in the event that we are unable to mail them to you.
• For patients using clear aligners – Continue to wear your aligners as prescribed by Dr. Flanagan. Once you are finished with the group of aligners we provided, continue to wear the last aligners until our office re-opens. If you notice one or more teeth are not “tracking”, DO NOT change to the next aligner, instead, stay on your current aligner until you are able to be seen.

As always, feel free to contact our office by phone or through our website for any questions or concerns regarding your orthodontic treatment plan.