Hi Team, Hope you’re all safe in your bubbles. Here are some Frequently Asked Questions.
Yes we’re still seeing emergency patients, The New Zealand Dental Council has defined emergencies as orofacial trauma, significant infection, prolonged bleeding or pain which cannot be managed with medications.
If you have a dental emergency which fits the above please contact our team by email at admin@teamdental.co.nz or phone 07 8394080 we’ll give you advice on how to proceed.
Can I rebook my appointment now?
Unfortunately at this time, until instructed by the Ministry of Health, we cannot reschedule any appointments, but we will be in touch with you to arrange this as soon as we can.
Will the Mandated Closures Affect My orthodontic Treatment Time?
We know part of successful orthodontic treatment is showing up for your appointments. Since that’s not an option under these unusual circumstances, it’s okay. Don’t panic. We’re fortunate that orthodontic treatment, as a rule, continues while you’re away from the clinic. You’ll still get a great result but it may take a little longer. You can help keep treatment moving forward by avoiding hard and sticky foods and keeping your teeth clean.
Patients with Braces
Brush and Floss! Be extra diligent about food choices to prevent breakage. Continue treatment as directed until we are able to see you again.
If you have a loose brace
If a bracket is loose and sliding on the wire, attempt to gently remove it by removing the small coloured elastic with a clean pair of tweezers. If it cannot be removed and is causing irritation, place a small piece of wax over the bracket to act as a cushion.
If your wire is poking
For a poking wire, use the eraser of a new, clean pencil to attempt to tuck it back in. If unable and the area is accessible, use a clean pair of nail clippers to clip the wire and remove the poking piece. Otherwise, place wax to act like a cushion.
If your wire comes out of the back brace
With clean tweezers, you can attempt to replace the wire into the back bracket or tube. If you are unable, either use a clean pair of nail clippers to clip the wire behind the last bracket to which it is attached, or cover the poking wire with wax.
Patients wearing rubber bands (elastics)
Continue to wear your elastics as instructed. If you start to run low on your elastics, then start to wear them just when you sleep at night. If you run out of elastics, email us your name and address. We will do our best to get a new pack in the mail for you.
Patients with removable appliances
Turn as instructed, If you have any questions or concerns, please email us.
Patients with fixed growth appliances
If the wire behind your front teeth or bands debond, or if you experience prolonged pain at any stage while the fixed growth appliance is in place, please contact us.
Patients wearing retainers
Continue wearing as instructed at your last visit. If your retainer has cracked, as long as you are comfortable you can still wear them. If you are unable to wear your retainers, or they cause pain, STOP wearing them all together. We will have to wait until we are able to see you again in order to repair them. If your teeth should shift, we will address that when we are advised the practice can open again.
Myobrace, myomunchee and myofunctional therapy
Continue to wear your myofunctional appliance 1-2 hours per day and overnight. Continue to do your myofunctional exercises in front of a mirror 3x daily. If you have any queries Nerissa can be contacted directly at oralmyologygroup@gmail.com
