As communities around the world continue to be affected by the outbreak of COVID-19, we’ve all had to make changes to our daily lives and routines. With recommendations from the CDC to practice social distancing along with state-mandated safer-at-home orders, it’s safe to say times are changing. As we adjust to this new normal, you may be wondering where this leaves your smile. If you’ve been looking to start treatment or are currently wearing braces, you may be concerned about what this means for your progress. We’re here to help you maintain your smile at home with virtual visits. If this sounds relatable to you, we have good news! We’re here to help you maintain your smile at home with virtual visits. Nothing has to stand in the way of getting the smile you’ve always wanted!
Keep Your Smile On Track with Virtual Visits
If you’re currently undergoing orthodontic treatment and are concerned that you’ll lose some of the progress you’ve worked so hard to make, worry no more! We’re now offering virtual visits to ensure Dr. Glass is able to keep track of your teeth and prevent any potential problems before they arise. All you have to do is take some photos of your teeth and fill out some information about yourself and any notes you may have. Then, Dr. Glass will review your photos and notes before contacting you about the next steps you can take to proceed.
How it Works
It’s pretty simple: first, you’ll head over to our virtual visits pages. Then, you’ll simply follow the steps in the pop-up window, providing some personal information and photos of your smile. That’s it! Your part of the work is done.
One common concern among our patients is getting good, quality photos. Here are a few tips to help you get the perfect photo:
- If possible, have someone take the photos for you or use your camera’s self-timer
- Be sure flash is turned ON
- Try your best to ONLY photograph your teeth and mouth area
- Relax your face and avoid tensing up your cheek muscles
- Keep your teeth together and bite down hard, so the pictures are accurate. This is the most important step!
Taking Care of Your Teeth and Appliances
As you’re preparing to keep up your orthodontic treatment at home, there are a few things to keep in mind. Although most of your routine may have changed, it’s more important than ever to maintain all of your great oral hygiene habits and continue taking care of your appliances.
Invisalign:
- Wear aligners as directed by Dr. Glass.
- If you’re at the end of a series and don’t have the next aligner, continue to wear the last one for 15-18 hours a day, until you can come into the office.
- If you lose or break an aligner, use the one before it in the series.
- Continue to use any other equipment, such as elastics, as directed by Dr. Glass.
- If you run out of aligners, it’s important that you keep wearing them! Visit our virtual visits page and schedule an appointment so we can determine your next steps.
Braces:
- Continue to wear elastics as directed by Dr. Glass. If you run out, let us know, and we’ll be happy to mail you more!
- If you have any pokey wires, you can apply a small bit of orthodontic wax to help relieve any pain or discomfort until you can come into the office. You can also trim the end of the wire with a pair of nail clippers or small scissors.
- If you have a loose bracket, let us know! We’ll fix it at your next in-office appointment. Until then, you can try gently sliding the bracket back to the middle of your tooth.
- Avoid any foods that can cause damage to your braces. This means sticky and crunchy foods. This will help prevent any emergencies, and keep us all safe at home!
- And of course, keep your braces clean and free of food debris or plaque!
Expander:
- Continue to do turns, as instructed by Dr. Glass.
- Schedule a virtual appointment to talk to us about the next steps!
Retainers:
- If you’ve lost or broken a retainer, contact the team at Glass Orthodontics and we’ll talk about the next steps.
- If your bonded retainer has come loose, you should continue to wear your removable retainer full time until we are able to see you and either remove the broken portion or repair the area.
We’re Open For Emergencies
If something happens to your appliances while our offices are closed due to COVID-19, we’re still here for you! We’re available by phone or email to discuss any issues you may have. If you have a real emergency and are experiencing pain, let us know and we’ll schedule an emergency in-office visit. To ensure your health and safety, we’ll make sure that you’re the only patient in the office and we’ll follow all necessary hygiene precautions. And, keeping with our standard, we’ll adhere to the highest sanitation and disinfection practices. You have no reason to worry about any part of your treatment as we navigate the COVID-19 pandemic together.
New Patients: Get Started with A Virtual Consultation
The process for new patients is simple! First, take some photos of your smile following the examples given on our virtual consultation page and the pointers we’ve listed above. Then, give us a little bit of information about your smile goals. Then your part is done!
Once we get your photos, Dr. Glass will review your smile and determine what kind of treatment is the best fit for you, based on your goals for treatment. We offer a variety of treatments to patients of any age, including traditional metal braces, clear braces, and Invisalign.
Our team will then work with you to determine the cost of your treatment and how it will fit your budget. We accept most major insurance plans and offer payment plans. We’ll help you determine a financial plan that’s perfect for your lifestyle. Finally, we’ll create a unique plan for your next steps once we can see you in the office.
Socially Distanced, Virtually Connected
As more cities and states put “Safer At Home” orders in place, our goal at Glass Orthodontics is to stay connected and provide support for our future and current patients. As we do our part to slow the spread of COVID-19, your health is our top priority. Virtual visits are the link between you, Dr. Glass, and the whole team as we continue to work together to achieve the smile you’ve always dreamed of.