Here’s our guide to helps parents get their children more prepared for orthodontic treatment with Dr. Karpac!
It’s likely that your child will have many questions as they begin preparing for their orthodontic treatment, and many kids and teens are nervous about getting braces and how it’ll impact their lives socially. Many young patients become frustrated about the eating and drinking restrictions they’ll have to follow, and the increased priority on their oral health.
All of us at JK Orthodontics get these types of questions all the time from both parents and patients, and we’ve come to understand just how important it is for parents to play a big role in helping kids understand treatment expectations. There are actually many things that parents can do to ease their child’s concerns prior to initiating orthodontic treatment, and below is our parental guide to help better prepare your child for this process!
Research Line-M-Up™ Invisible Aligners & Braces Together
The very first thing that every parent should do is research our treatment options with their child to learn as much as you can about what these treatments are like prior to initial treatment stages.
Research will help your child better understand oral upkeep routines and food restrictions they may need to deal with throughout their treatment process, and doing this research together will help everyone know what should be expected overall.
Remind Your Child That They’re Not Alone
A lot of kids are afraid of orthodontic treatments because they think they’ll be the only ones standing out amongst their friends, but the vast majority of teenagers actually get orthodontic treatment. It’s likely that your child already has a few classmates and friends that are undergoing treatment, so it goes a long way to simply remind a young patient that there will be plenty of other people they know that will be going through the exact same thing as them.
Preparing Your Home With Soft Foods
Your child is going to need to slightly adjust their eating habits when they get braces, which means that parents should do their part to eliminate chewy, sticky, crunchy and hard foods from being accessible within their home.
You can make your child’s treatment a lot easier simply by stocking up your home with braces-friendly foods. Some of these foods include soups, smoothies, fruits, yogurt, steamed veggies and ice cream. Another good benefit from a parent’s perspective is that braces-friendly food just so happens to usually be very healthy, which is a win-win when it comes to implementing this diet throughout the treatment process!
Planning For Potential Discomfort
Every orthodontic patient has to get used to their appliances, including Line-M-Up™ patients. The first few days of treatment usually entail slight discomfort while teeth conduct their first shifts, and sometimes braces can cause some irritation when a child’s gums and lips are just getting used to them. This is why it’s always recommended for parents to be prepared for this type of discomfort by keeping over-the-counter pain medication in the house and having a surplus of orthodontic wax.
Creating An Orthodontic Treatment Kit
Both braces and Line-M-Up™ patients will greatly benefit from keeping a treatment kit on them each day, and this type of kit will usually be a small toiletry case that’s easy to bring to school.
Some of the common products that should be in this treatment kit include:
- Travel toothpaste/toothbrush
- Flossing tools
- Orthodontic wax
- Tissues
- Hand sanitizer
- Lip balm
Establishing A Small Rewards System
The obvious reward for doing a great job throughout orthodontic treatment is obtaining a beautiful, healthy smile that lasts a lifetime; however, kids and teens are sometimes a bit less appreciative of these long-term rewards during the treatment process.
This is why parents should consider creating a small rewards system to help incentivize their kids to maintain healthy habits, and this type of system should be unique based upon what motivates your child. Some habits to reward can include good brushing/flossing, wearing rubber bands for the required daily time amount, and much more.
Be creative and figure out what works best for your child to ensure that they’re keeping up with their treatment necessities!
Remaining Focused On The End Goal
Many kids are impatient about a lot of things, and orthodontic treatment tends to be the same. Many treatment timelines will last around 2 years, which can feel like forever to a teenager that just wants to get their braces off once and for all.
This is why it’s important for parents to continuously remind their children why their treatment is so important for their future, and maintaining this type of end goal motivation will better ensure the young patient’s dedication.
JK Orthodontics Is Here To Help Provide Your Child With A Beautiful, Healthy Smile!
JK Orthodontics is here to answer you and your child’s questions about orthodontic treatment and ensure that the entire process goes as smoothly as possible. Our experienced staff will also help you go through your financing options and ensure the affordability of our services as well.
Contact us online or call us at 614-766-0330 (Dublin office) or 614-471-6355 (Gahanna office) to schedule your initial consultation appointment with JK Orthodontics today!