Has the pandemic affected my teen’s orthodontic treatment?
The coronavirus pandemic has thrown a wrench into a lot of daily tasks and activities that used to be no problem to complete. If you have a teen with braces, you may wonder if you should make routine visits to your Burlingame orthodontist.
In the early months of the pandemic, some adolescents and adults with braces in California did not feel safe having routine braces adjustments or didn’t want to get their braces removed as scheduled.
By late spring and summer 2020, most California orthodontists had re-opened their offices for routine care (some never closed them in the first place) and resumed doing check-ups to tighten teens’ braces. Of course, most healthcare providers in California have adopted safety measures at their offices.
COVID-related safety measures used at many California dental and orthodontic offices include:
- Requiring patients to complete an online symptom screening prior to their appointment
- Limiting the number of people in the office
- Taking patients’ temperatures when they arrive at the office
- Requiring patients to text from their car to notify the provider they have arrived so a staff member can escort the patient to maintain the appropriate physical distance among patients and staff
Doctor Lee is practicing an abundance of caution when it comes to in-person visits and is making sure all areas are sterilized between patients. Additionally, like almost all other places during COVID-19, masks are also required for everyone, except for when the patient needs to take their mask off to be examined or treated.
What are some things your teenager can do from home to be proactive?
There are still a handful of things teens should be doing, regardless of a modified orthodontic visit schedule. Make sure your youngster is:
- Brushing their teeth twice daily
- Flossing daily
- Brushing their teeth after meals, especially when food gets stuck in the braces
- Avoiding foods that are damaging to the braces such as hard candies or popcorn
- Wearing their retainer as prescribed
Doctor Lee is taking caution but still offering check-ups to tighten braces and monitor treatment. At Burlingame Smile Studio, we have modified our processes because the health and safety of our patients is our first priority. You can find more information about our new procedures on our website. Or give us a call if you have any questions.
Contact Burlingame Smile Studio:
650-231-2680
Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):
1740 Marco Polo Way Ste 12
Burlingame, California
940101
