Morita Orthodontics is proud to be your choice when you’re looking for an orthodontist in Aiea and Honolulu, HI. We realize that orthodontic treatment isn’t just the procedure of putting someone’s braces in – it’s also a process that requires a constant commitment of caring for your braces. Many of our patients are younger and they’ll soon be getting ready to go back to school – only this time, they’ll be accompanied by their new braces. For those students, we’d like to offer a couple of tips to make the transition into the school year much easier.
When you wear braces, there are certain foods you’ll have to avoid. These foods include sticky foods and hard foods. While summer allows you to plan all your meals and avoid these foods, school lunches generally don’t give you that luxury. When your school is providing a meal that may not be suitable for someone wearing braces, we recommend packing your own lunch that’s filled with foods that are braces-friendly.
After you’ve eaten your braces-friendly lunch, it’s best to brush and clean your teeth. However, since you’re at school that may seemingly pose a problem. Not to worry though! All you have to do is take a dental kit with you and you can clean your teeth at school when you have a few free minutes. Make sure to pack a toothbrush, toothpaste, and dental floss in your dental kit.
Whether you keep them in your dental kit or elsewhere, these extra supplies are incredibly beneficial throughout the day. If your braces are starting to irritate parts of your mouth, apply some wax to the areas of the braces that are causing the soreness. Keeping extra rubber bands is also helpful if your current orthodontic treatment requires them; rubber bands need to be replaced after a period of time and sometimes they may accidentally break.
Drinking lots of water is beneficial for someone wearing braces because of the number of health benefits they’ll bestow. Drinking water will help prevent cavities, keep your mouth clean, and get rid of bad breath. We recommend bringing a bottle of water or two with you to school.
When you’re playing sports, wearing a mouthguard will greatly lessen the chance of receiving a dental injury. While there’s a relatively short list of school sports that require mouthguards, it’s important to wear a mouthguard during many other sports as well. The American Dental Association recommends athletes to wear mouthguards for a number of sports that include football, basketball, lacrosse, hockey, volleyball, and gymnastics.
If you’re wearing a retainer, you should use a retainer case as well. There’s been a large amount of students who’ve either lost their retainer or accidentally thrown it away at school. By bringing a retainer case, you’ll limit the possibility of accidentally losing or tossing your retainer. Remember, if your retainer isn’t in your mouth, make sure it’s in the case!
If you would like to schedule an appointment with us, please don’t hesitate to fill out our online appointment request form or give us a call at one of our two convenient locations. You can reach us at (808) 486-5505 for our Aiea office or (808) 941-3355 for our Honolulu office. Feel free to get in touch with us if you have any questions. We look forward to hearing from you!
If you’re interested in scheduling an appointment with us, you can fill out our online appointment request form or give us a call at our Honolulu office at (808) 941-3355 or our Aiea office at (808) 486-5505. We can’t wait to hear from you!
RE: COVID-19 (Coronavirus)
To our valued patients,
In order to prevent the spread of COVID-19 (Coronavirus), President Trump, the American Dental Association and the Hawaii Dental Association are recommending all dentists postpone nonemergency dental procedures for 2 weeks. Our practice is committed to protecting the community and avoiding using valuable resources that our first responders and frontline healthcare providers will need.
Our office will be closed effective today, Wednesday, March 18, and we plan to resume regular hours on Wednesday, April 1. If you are experiencing a true dental emergency including swelling or severe tooth pain, please call your general dentist office, and listen closely as emergency contact info will be available. For all nonemergent questions, please email us at [email protected].
We are so sorry for the burden this places on your schedules, but your continued health and safety are our number one priority. Our office is working diligently to reschedule all patients with existing appointments within the next 2 weeks. We will continue to evaluate the situation as it evolves and determine on a weekly basis when it is appropriate for us to return to normal orthodontic patient care. We ask for your compassion and understanding at this time as we all work together to keep Hawaii healthy.
Sincerely,
Your Morita Orthodontics Ohana
