From one school year to the next, a child’s height can skyrocket, their appearance transforms, and plenty of kids suddenly sport braces or Invisalign. When it comes time to tend to orthodontics during school hours, parents need to arm their tweens and teens with the supplies and confidence they need to make it through every day.
Get Used to Wearing Braces or Invisalign
Once braces are in place, they’re not going anywhere until the orthodontist says they’re done. For most patients this is anywhere between the one- to two-year mark. Some kids will find themselves with some form of orthodontics in elementary school, middle school, and maybe even high school. They’ll be used to the drill and can manage challenges that arise.
Newbies, however, need more support. No matter what age a kid is, if summer was the season to get braces or Invisalign, fall is the time to truly adjust to them – and that means making the most of brackets, wires, or aligners while sitting in school.
For Students with Invisalign
Students with Invisalign have the beautiful privilege of removing their aligners whenever they want. Technically, the trays should only come out during meals and cleanings – which definitely makes it easy to get through lunch period – but there will undoubtedly be other times in school when a teen will desperately want their teeth to be free of any encumbrance. They have the power to remove Invisalign Teen, but must remember to store the trays safely and still wear them for 20 to 22 hours daily. An orthodontist can tell when aligners haven’t been worn long enough.
For Kids with Full Braces
Full braces are a big deal. Those brackets and wires are attached to teeth until treatment is complete and adjusted every six to eight weeks. When your child smiles, speaks, or opens their mouth, their hardware will be visible, so sometimes the biggest hurdle is simply getting used to a temporarily altered appearance.
Parents can help their braces-wearer get through school days more easily by boosting their confidence with words of encouragement, packing snacks or lunches that are soft and easy to eat with those tender teeth, and reminding them that they get to switch up their look every few months by changing the colors of their rubber bands. Braces are a statement, but it’s one that an appearance-conscious teen has at least some control over.
For Any Orthodontic Patient (and Parents)
The most important thing every orthodontic patient must always have available to them is their braces kit. Choose a small bag that can hold dental wax (for pokey brackets and wires), toothbrush, toothpaste, dental floss, and an appliance case (if you have Invisalign or a removable retainer). Multiple braces kits are a good idea so important supplies are always available – in a school bag, in a locker, in a car, or otherwise.
If you need some extra tips to help your child take themselves and their braces or Invisalign to school, schedule a consultation with Dr. Mariana Orthodontics in Monroe, WA, to get the scoop and earn an A+ on life with braces.
