Here at Lakeville Orthodontics,  we will soon offer a pre-orthodontic guidance program called SMILEYRILEY to all children that are not quite ready to start orthodontic treatment.  We have always offered this, but now we are deciding to create a fun club for children to feel more involved in their orthodontic experience. The American Association of Orthodontics recommends all children see an orthodontist by age 7.  As a preventative office,  we offer this service to your child at no cost because we know the importance of these growth guidance examinations.  Our orthodontic team will monitor any orthodontic need and optimum timing of treatment.

SMILEYRILEY members receive a special club t-shirt and a membership punch card.  Once in the club,  each member will receive a punch on their card at each visit for good oral hygiene and wearing their SMILEYRILEY club shirt.  It’s a great way to start your experience with our office and team.

Oral-B Ortho Essentials Program

That is why we have partnered with Crest and Oral B to offer a comprehensive oral hygiene education and grading system through our Ortho Essentials program.

Ortho Essentials is a three- step oral hygiene program designed to boost oral health and hygiene practices in orthodontic patients.  The day our patients get their braces on, our team will go over the importance of what foods to avoid, proper handling of emergencies and proper oral hygiene techniques.

In order to help with proper hygiene, our patients will receive the Oral-B Ortho Essentials kit and be started in our Ortho Essentials oral hygiene program.  Each patient kit includes the Oral-B Triumph power toothbrush with a SmartGuide wireless display to provide feedback on brushing time and technique, along with Crest Pro-Health Toothpaste, Rinse and SuperFloss to help reduce plaque and gingivitis. The kit will also include an easy to follow 5-level oral hygiene score card ranging form poor to excellent that illustrates each rating level so our clinical team and patients have a standard to compare oral hygiene.

We know orthodontic emergencies are never convenient nor timely. As a general rule, you should call the office when you experience severe pain or when you have a painful appliance problem that you can’t take care of yourself. Common issues include broken appliances, poking or sharpness from brackets and wires, and general soreness. 
While we always recommend you consult us if you experience these issues, you may be able to temporarily solve many problems yourself until you visit our office.

The following solutions may help you relieve discomfort:

• General soreness: When you get your braces on, it is very common for you to feel general soreness in your mouth, and teeth may be tender to biting pressures for three to five days. This can be relieved by rinsing your mouth with a warm salt water mouthwash. Dissolve one teaspoonful of salt in 8 ounces of warm water, and rinse your mouth vigorously. If the tenderness is severe, take over the counter aspirin or other headache/pain relief medication.
• Poking wire: Placing wax on the poking edge of the wire is a great way to alleviate the discomfort.
• Loose bracket or band: If your bracket or band is still attached to the wire, you should leave it in place and put wax on it. If the wire comes out entirely, wrap the bracket in a tissue, and call our office.
• Loose or poor fitting headgear: For those patients prescribed headgear, it is important to use the appliance as instructed for the prescribed hours to avoid discomfort. Be sure to refer to the instructions provided by our office. If the facebow is bent, please call our office for assistance.

Remember, after alleviating your discomfort, it is still very important that you call our office to schedule a time to repair the problem.

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