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Back-to-school season is both an exciting and hectic time. In addition to preparing your teen for the upcoming semester by arranging carpools, buying school supplies, and charging all of their devices, it’s helpful to also consider what they need to stay on-track with their clear aligner treatment. With this in mind, read on to learn five back-to-school tips for your teen with Invisalign!
1. Pack Soft Foods in Your Teen’s Lunch
Immediately following the transition to a new set of aligners, your teen’s teeth may feel a bit sore. So, naturally, the last thing you want to do is fill their lunch box with hard pretzels, raw nuts, and other really crunchy foods. Instead, include foods that are both softer in consistency and smile-friendly, like plain yogurt, low-sugar applesauce, and pudding.
2. Create an On-the-Go Oral Hygiene Kit
In addition to brushing their teeth each morning and evening, your teen needs to brush their teeth after lunch and any snacks they have. Otherwise, the food particles left behind will get trapped against their teeth by the aligners, increasing their risk of tooth decay. To make it easy for them, create an on-the-go oral hygiene kit complete with everything they need – from a travel-sized toothbrush to dental wax.
3. Get a Reusable Water Bottle
Drinking water throughout the day won’t just keep your teen hydrated, it will also help prevent soft tissue, dry mouth, and dental discoloration. So, consider getting them a reusable water bottle to take to school!
4. Reinforce the Importance of Wear Time
Simply put, in order to stay on-track with their treatment plan, your teen needs to wear their aligners for 20+ hours a day. Since you won’t have eyes on them at school or during any extracurricular activities they participate in, it’s important to really reiterate the importance of wear time to them. That way, they are motivated to adopt good habits, like brushing their teeth and putting their aligners back on after finishing their lunch.
5. Don’t Forget the Check-In Visits!
Throughout your teen’s teeth-straightening journey, they’ll come to our office so we can see how everything is progressing. It can be difficult sometimes between school orientation, homecoming, sporting events, and everything else on your child’s calendar to find time. However, each and every visit is important, so do your best to prioritize them!
About the Practice
Led by a board-certified orthodontist, our team at Richardson Orthodontics is passionate about helping the people who walk through our doors smile. That’s why we offer several different types of braces, create customized treatment plans, and welcome multiple financial solutions. Plus, we offer after-school hours, which makes the teeth-straightening process considerably more convenient for teens and their families. If you would like to schedule an appointment with us, then visit our website or call (972) 238-7101.