Caring for an Elderly Parent With Special Dental Needs

Caring for an Elderly Parent With Special Dental Needs

3 Tips for Making It Through Your First Summer with Braces

Joe Lawrence

In order for your new braces to work effectively, you need to know how to take care of them. Here are three tips that will help you navigate your first summer with braces.

Summer Vacations

If you are going to go on an extended vacation, you should make an appointment with your dentist to have your braces checked before you leave; that way, if there are any issues with your braces, they can be addressed before you go on vacation, and you will not have to deal with any additional braces-related issues while on your vacation.

If you have traditional braces, you'll want to make sure that you bring along enough bands and wax to last your entire trip. You are also going to need to bring your orthodontic hygiene kit with you as well.

Just to be on the safe side, you should bring duplicates of all your oral health supplies. Keep one set in your carry-on bag and one set in your checked bag; that way, if anything happens to either bag, you'll have backup supplies.

Summer Sports

Protect your teeth and your braces by wearing a mouth guard whenever you play any contact or semi-contact sports. For example, although a sport such as baseball or softball may not be considered a contact sport, you could still potentially hurt your mouth by colliding with another fielder or sliding into a base, which is why a wearing a mouth guard is a smart decision even if the sport you are playing is not a traditional contact sport.

You can purchase a special mouth guard designed for individuals who wear braces from your local pharmacy, or you can have your dentist make you a custom mouth guard.

Summer Food

You can eat pretty much all the foods that you normally eat during the summertime; just make sure that you are able to brush and floss your teeth shortly after you eat. You may want to carry a small travel toothbrush and flossing kit with you so that you can always take care of your teeth, no matter where you are at. You can still enjoy summertime foods like barbecue ribs, steak, and corn; just make sure to follow your orthodontist's instructions and floss to get the food out of your teeth and braces as soon as you are done eating.  

The key to making it through your first summer with braces is to always be prepared by having the supplies you need close at hand to protect and clean your teeth and braces with. 

For more information about taking care of your teeth and braces, contact your orthodontist or a professional at an orthodontic practice such as Reed & Sahlaney Orthodontics, LLP.


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Caring for an Elderly Parent With Special Dental Needs

Caring for an elderly parent tends to be tough enough without the added stress of dealing with dental implants or dentures. But, the prospect is not the end of the world—there are many things you can do to ensure that your parent's dental health is not compromised without having to spend a lot of personal time doing the care yourself. Between working with the right dentist, hiring a service provider for part time work, and giving your parent the tools he or she needs to care for his or her own dental health at home, you'll find that dental health for your loved one isn't so tough or time consuming after all. Hopefully you are able to get the support and information you need right here.

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