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My Orthodontist’s Office is Closed. What Does That Mean for My Treatment?

Given the outbreak of COVID-19, your orthodontist may have made the difficult, but important, decision to postpone any non-emergent appointments. You can be assured that this decision was not made lightly but was made to protect patients, staff and families.

Given the closure, you may have a few questions.

Will this delay my treatment?

We know part of successful orthodontic treatment is showing up for your appointments. If that’s not an option under these unusual circumstances, it’s okay. Don’t panic. Though your appointments are scheduled out to achieve maximum success, this hiccup shouldn’t have much of an impact on your overall treatment plan. Given the situation, your orthodontist will work hard to get your treatment plan back on track when they reopen.

You can help keep treatment on track by following your orthodontist’s directions, avoiding hard and sticky foods and keeping your teeth clean. With limited appointments available, now is not the time to be breaking brackets, and keeping your teeth clean will ensure the best possible result.

What now?

Make sure to stay in contact with your orthodontist about their reopening plans and get any appointments you’re going to miss rescheduled. For many offices, information regarding this is available on practices’ Facebook and Instagram pages, and/or websites.

A timeline as to when they reopen may be up-in-the-air, but you can rest assured they are making decisions with your best interest in mind.

My orthodontist said they will continue “essential dental care.” What does that mean?

If you have an urgent need during this time, such as pain or injury, your orthodontist will likely be available for emergency appointments. Please contact their office to determine the best course of action for your specific situation.

There’s a lot of uncertainty right now, but what’s one thing we know for sure?

Your orthodontist looks forward to seeing you back in our office soon!

For more information on AAO guidelines during this unprecedented time, visit aaoinfo.org/virus

Important Closure & COVID-19 Update for Our Patients

Dear Parkside Orthodontic Community,

At Parkside Orthodontics we are doing our part to keep safety a top priority for everyone. You have placed your trust in us to oversee the oral health of you or your family member, and we take that job seriously. We want you to know we are doing our best to protect everyone from the continuing viral spread of COVID-19.

In light of growing concerns about the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, especially given its presence in the state of Oregon, we are writing to provide an update concerning the temporary closure of our office.

First, we want to assure you that your health and safety is always our highest priority. Our office has been closely monitoring and adhering to recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and we have implemented additional sanitary and disinfecting measures in our office, in addition to our already very strict infection control practices. We have provided additional training and instructions on cleaning procedures to our entire orthodontic team.

However, even with all these precautionary measures, the situation around COVID-19 is unprecedented. As health care leaders in Oregon, orthodontists across the state are making additional efforts to stop the spread and ultimately contain the virus.

We are monitoring directives that are issued to us by the state of Oregon and other national organizations including the CDC, and the American Dental Association as they evolve. As you are probably well aware of, many businesses, group gatherings, etc. have been advised to close/cancel/postpone operations to help minimize the spread of COVID-19.

Our state dental organization has issued an advisory for all dental offices to follow suit with state recommendations on closures, and close for routine procedures from now until June 15, 2020. We are to remain available for emergency procedures only.

To this end, we are cancelling all appointments for elective procedures and non-urgent visits, until we are advised that we may safely resume normal operations. If you have a scheduled appointment between now and June 15, 2020 please consider it canceled, and we will contact you to re-schedule as soon as we resume normal business operations. If you or your child are experiencing an urgent problem with your orthodontic appliances, please contact our office at 503-236-3800. Do not come to the office without a scheduled appointment.

We will remain available to treat patients who have urgent needs, and on an emergency basis. In addition, we request that all patients who do come in for urgent visits enter our office alone when appropriate, or be accompanied by no more than one parent/care-giver.

We encourage you to continue to take the necessary precautions as outlined by the CDC and the state of Oregon to protect your health and the health of those around you, and regularly check for updates as this unpredictable situation is rapidly evolving.

Again, the health and safety of our patients remains our top priority. We apologize for any inconvenience this may create and appreciate your understanding during this unique and difficult time. We are here to serve you and feel this is the best course of action given the current situation. Thank you all for the support and trust you have placed in us over the years, and we can’t wait to see your smiling faces when this is over.

For the most update-to-date information, please follow us on our Instagram and Facebook pages.

Sincerely,

Dr. Kuperstein & Your Parkside Orthodontic Team

Why is it important to wear a mouthguard for sports?

The National Youth Sports Foundation for Safety reports that an athlete is 60 times more likely have damage to their teeth if they are not wearing a mouthguard. Additionally, according to the American Dental Association, 10-20% of all sports related injuries are to the face and teeth.

Many injuries to the face and teeth can be prevented by the use of a properly fitting (and worn!) mouthguard. A mouthguard can protect against:

Tooth fracture
Tooth displacement or loss
Jaw fractures
Injury of soft tissues, such as the lips and cheeks
Possible reduction of concussion risk (research is not conclusive)

There are three kinds of mouthguards that can be used:

Custom – this is made by an orthodontist or dentist
Stock – purchased at a retail store, cannot be customized
Boil and bite – also purchased at a retail store, can mold these a little bit to the mouth

Dr. Kuperstein and the team and Parkside Orthodontics strongly urge the regular use of mouthguards. Please feel free to consult with us about the best kind for you!

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What kind of retainers are there?

Most people know what retainers are, but did you know that there are several different types of retainers?

First, let’s discuss why retainers are important. After orthodontic treatment, teeth can have a tendency to return to their original positions. This is because teeth are connected to the jawbone by a ligament called the periodontal ligament. It can take several years for the ligament to adjust to the new tooth position. There are also pressures from eating, swallowing and talking which can put pressure on the teeth. During this time, we recommend frequent use of retainers to resist undesirable tooth movement. Our teeth have a tendency to move throughout our lifetime, so some type of long-term retainer wear is helpful if you want to keep those teeth straight! Once your orthodontic treatment is done, we will give you specific recommendations about your retainers for long-term success.

There are three main types of retainers: Hawley, Essix, and Bonded. Here are the differences:

Hawley

This is a traditional retainer that has a wire that goes across the front teeth and acrylic on the inside of the teeth. There are usually some small metal bars that help hold on to the back molars as well. Hawley retainers are extremely long lasting, but they do take a few days to get used to.

Essix

This is a clear plastic retainer that covers all of the teeth. It holds the teeth very well and is much less noticeable then a traditional retainer. It can protect teeth if you tend to grind or clench. These retainers are not as long-lasting and will need to be replaced periodically.

Bonded

A bonded retainer is a sturdy wire that is adhered to the back surface of some teeth. It is considered “semi-permanent” since it stays in place unless you have an orthodontist or dentist remove it. This retainer is nice because you don’t have to remember to wear it, but you do need to take more effort to clean around it. I’ve had my bonded retainer since age 13!

When someone is done with treatment, we advise each patient about the different types of retainers, especially if one would work best over the others. If you have any questions about retainers or orthodontic treatment, please give us a call!

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