Summer is finally here!! Whether you are going on vacation, hanging out by the pool, staying home or going to extravagant locations, these long days and later mornings are something we can all get use to after a year of COVID. You probably haven’t thought about that summer is the best time to start your child’s orthodontic treatment. The American Association of Orthodontics recommends all children have an orthodontic consultation by the age of 7. If your child is around this age, we would love to meet them! If your child has already had a orthodontic consultation and has been diagnosed with an oral issue, summer is the perfect time to get that treatment started. Let’s take a look why.
Families are so busy this day and time, especially during the school year when activities are in full swing. During orthodontic treatment, regular adjustment visits are a must! Because schedules tend to be more relaxed during the summer, it can be easier to find the time to add in these adjustment visits to the routine.
When seeing a child for their initial visit, we go over a good amount of information. Those appointments typically last about an hour. During that appointment we cover the following:
Scheduling this appointment during summer vacation means you do not have to worry about it cutting into your child’s school day. The same is true for their appointment to get the braces placed on their teeth or to have their first sets of aligners delivered.
Although orthodontic treatment has improved greatly in the recent years, orthodontic treatment is still a learning curve. There are temporary aches and pains that are associated with starting orthodontic treatment, as well as many food restrictions. Being at home for the summer will help the child get use to these changes before having to return back to their busy schedules at school. Even patients with aligner treatment will have a learning curve. When going through aligner treatment the aligners have to be replaced on a weekly basis and they have to be worn for a minimum of 20-22 hours a day.
Early mornings and busy days that come during the school year can leave us all ready to get straight to bed without even thinking about our toothbrushes. When it comes to taking care of your smile, you have to have good oral hygiene. It is even more important for patients going through orthodontic treatment. When it comes to braces, oral hygiene will take a little extra effort because of wires and brackets. Summer is a great time for your child to explore and find out what works best for them regarding their new oral hygiene routine.
