Remington Smiles - Kendra J. Remington, DDS

Orthodontist Serving Guilford, Connecticut

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Orthodontic Elastics

Back to School with Braces

Back to school… that wonderful, horrible time of the year! So much is new… teachers, friends, schools, etc., that sometimes keeping other routines on track, especially when you have braces, can be a challenge.💻📚😆

Sleep⏰

A regular sleep schedule is the most important gift you can give yourself when you’re heading back to school. Summer bedtimes are typically more flexible. Now that school is about to begin, it can be helpful to set an alarm for both going to bed as well as getting up. Make sure you allow yourself enough time to get everything done, it is easy to feel rushed…

Brushing and Flossing😁

How many times a day do I want you to brush when you have braces… say it with me… THREE!!! All three can be done at home, although if any of you want to take a brush to school, you get an A+. Since you have allowed enough time in the morning (see previous paragraph) you can brush after breakfast. When you get home from school you should brush a second time. That gets your lunch and snacks out of there. And finally, right after dinner, or before bed, get in there and brush a third time. Flossing also needs to be done once every day, but the time of day doesn’t matter. So get that brushing routine set for three times daily, add flossing to one of those times that works best for you, and you’re all set!

Elastics📲

The best thing you can do for your elastic wear is to download our Smile-tastic! App. It will give you four reminders daily to change and replace your elastics. Consistency is the key!!!

Scan this code to download the app Smile-tastic!

Other ways to maintain consistency is to be sure that you always have elastics with you to replace the ones that you remove.

Places to keep them:

  • In your pocket
  • In your backpack
  • In your lunch bag
  • In your notebook
  • In your purse
  • In your sports bag
  • In your instrument case
  • In your locker
  • Any other place that would help you remember😉

Keep Smiling!
Stay Smile-tastic!, My Friends!

 

Motivating Adolescent Patients in Orthodontic Treatment

Let’s face it, motivating adolescents to do something they don’t want to do is an uphill battle in the best of circumstances, but when we’re talking about orthodontic treatment, the stakes are higher.

In a study published in the April issue of American Journal of Orthodontics & Dentofacial Orthopedics, the authors concluded that “adolescents’ use of wireless mobile technology can be harnessed to improve toothbrushing efficacy and motivation.” They also noted previous reports of “increasing integration of digital technologies into personalized health care, as well as the use of mobile phone applications, especially in adolescents.”

Adolescents’ Use of Mobile Technology Can Be Used to Improve Motivation

Remington Orthodontics is utilizing mobile apps to assist in two of the biggest areas of concern with regard to the need for ongoing motivation, oral hygiene and elastic wear.

Oral Hygiene

Every patient beginning orthodontic treatment receives an Oral-B Genius Professional Exclusive Rechargeable Toothbrush.

Oral B Genius Professional Exclusive Rechargeable Toothbrush

Not only does it brush your teeth 😜 but it has Position Detection to be sure you brush every area for the proper amount of time, Personalizable multicolor Smartring that gives visual coaching and pressure control, and the Oral-B App which monitors your daily habits and brushing routines. All you could ever ask for from a tooth brush and more!😁

Elastic Wear

Every patient beginning elastic wear downloads the Smile-tastic! App for elastic reminders.

Smile-tastic! App

In addition to providing direct contact with the office, our app sends four reminders throughout the day to help patients form and maintain a consistent elastic wear schedule. A majority of patients require elastic wear to complete their treatment. Elastics must be worn 24 hours per day to be effective. 💪 Poor elastic wear delays tooth movement which lengthens the time in treatment. 😲😭

Keep Smiling!
Stay Smile-tastic!, My Friends!

How to Form a Good Elastic Habit

After you have started orthodontic treatment, the next thing to come along may be elastics, and learning to form a good elastic habit. Yes, the dreaded elastics! Elastics should not be dreaded, rather they should be celebrated. Elastics are a HUGE factor in not only achieving the treatment goals set by your orthodontist, they are they are also the key to finishing your treatment on time.

ELASTICS ARE THE KEY TO FINISHING YOUR TREATMENT ON TIME!

[Read more…] about How to Form a Good Elastic Habit

New Years Resolutions

What’s new at Remington Orthodontics?

New Years Resolutions are always a nice way to make a fresh start in the new year and 2018 is off to a great start for Remington Orthodontics! We are excited to share all of our new treatment tools with our patient family.

Our Smile-tastic! App

I developed an app for my patients called Smile-tastic!. It is designed to help my elastic wearing patients form a consistent elastic wear pattern. Download it from the app stores, get my fun elastic reminders, and get your braces off faster! [Read more…] about New Years Resolutions

What’s App, Doc???

10-26-16

What is one of the most important things a patient can do to ensure that their treatment progresses in a timely manner and reaches the goals for treatment that have been set… WEAR THEIR ELASTICS!

What is one of the most challenging things for patients to remember to do when they also have to be responsible for going to school, doing their homework, studying for tests, practicing their sport, hanging out with their friends, living their life… WEAR THEIR ELASTICS!

Elastics

What’s a concerned orthodontist to do???

[Read more…] about What’s App, Doc???

Helping Patients Wear Their Elastics

About six months ago, I was thinking about some of the challenges faced by orthodontists on a daily basis. Naturally, there are cases in which the teeth don’t move the way you expect them to, cases where teeth are missing or impacted, and cases with severe crowding of the teeth, all of which can challenge your diagnostic and treatment planning skills, but thankfully, although we do see these things, they are not typically daily issues. It occurred to me that if I could put my finger on the one thing that keeps me up late at night it would be… drum roll please… patients who do not consistently wear their elastics.

Smile-tastic! Get the App [Read more…] about Helping Patients Wear Their Elastics

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