Download Oral Hygiene Education

ORAL HYGIENE EDUCATION
Waugh & Allen Orthodontics would like to thank you for attending the oral hygiene class. We are extremely excited
about helping you have a pretty, healthy smile.
In order to achieve this goal, our office, the patient, and parents must work together to help maintain excellent oral
hygiene. Realizing that orthodontics is a huge investment, it is important that everyone know what he or she can do
to help achieve a beautiful, healthy smile.
For A Healthy Orthodontic Result, each patient:
can help improve his or her oral hygiene by making plaque and calculus (tartar) control part of a daily routine.
1.
PROPER BRUSHING:
Brush at least 2-3x per day
Brush at least 2-3 minutes
Start in the back on the top right side, work around to the left, drop down and go back around to
the right
Use a soft bristle toothbrush (better for gums and removes more plaque)
Angle toothbrush between brackets and gums (plaque gathers at the gum line)
Use a gentle circular motion
2.
PROXY BRUSH:
Use after brushing with regular toothbrush
Great to carry out to eat or to school
Used between brackets and behind hooks
3.
PROPER FLOSSING:
Most important!!!
Use floss threaders to get floss behind wire
Floss every night before bed
4.
ANTIBACTERIAL MOUTHWASH:
Ex. Scope, Tom’s of Maine, Listerine, Equate, etc.
Use 2x per day for 30 seconds
Helps to keep gums healthy
5.
FLUORIDE MOUTHWASH:
Helps to prevent permanent white scars (Decalcification)
Phos-Flur Rinse for patients under 15 yrs old
Prevident 5000 for patients 15 and older
Use every night before bed
***** Follow manufacturer’s directions for all mouthwashes used.
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For A Healthy Orthodontic Result, our Office:
*
Strongly Recommends
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Daily Topical Fluoride (available here at a reduced cost)
Sonicare Toothbrushes (also available here at reduced cost)
Professional Cleaning every three months while in braces
(Partners in Prevention outline attached)

Provides patients with a manual toothbrush, floss, floss threaders, proxy brush, disclosing tablets, and
more at no additional cost to patient.

Has weekly Oral Hygiene Education Classes to educate all new patients and their parents about his or
her braces and how to keep clean them, and to assist all patients who have demonstrated poor oral
hygiene for several weeks.

Has monthly Oral Hygiene Contests to help motivate patients. Patients are entered into a drawing for
the chance to win a $20.00 gift certificate to Georgia Square Mall.

Monitors oral hygiene of all patients and gives a grade at each visit, allowing each patient to know how
he or she is doing with their homecare.

Mails hygiene letters to patients having trouble with their hygiene to help prevent decalcification.
Poor Oral Hygiene letter #1 is sent to patient with specific oral hygiene instructions.
Poor Oral Hygiene letter #2 is sent to parents suggesting a professional cleaning
be done and to attend Oral Hygiene class.
Poor Oral Hygiene letter #3 is sent to parents strongly recommending removing the
braces in order to prevent decalcification. When better oral hygiene is accomplished,
the appliances can be replaced for an additional fee of four hundred dollars.
FLOURIDE RINSE
FLUORIDE PASTE
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SONICARE
“Partners in Prevention” Program Outline
Due to a growing concern over the prevalence of decalcification and tissue problems associated with
braces, our office has decided to recommend that all of our full-treatment adolescent patients have
their teeth professionally cleaned every 3 months while in active orthodontic treatment.
Tracy Vitug, our staff hygienist, coordinates our hygiene program which includes many new hygienerelated products and services for patients in braces. A few to mention are Sonicare toothbrushes, home
fluoride treatments, and most notably, the “Partners in Prevention” program, a cooperative effort
between dentist and orthodontist to better maintain excellent oral hygiene for patients.

Referring dental practices have the choice to provide all four cleanings per year, or they may
choose to participate in the “Partners in Prevention” program at our office. A signed letter
confirming the dentist’s choice is kept on file here at our office. This allows our office to know
how each patient should be treated.

If the decision is made to have additional cleanings, patients are electing to alternate his or her
cleaning appointments between our practice and their general dentist every three months.

A letter will be provided to inform the general dentist of each patient’s treatment status.

Out of the four cleanings per year anticipated for each patient in the “Partners in Prevention”
Program, the two cleanings performed by our office will be presented to patients as elective
procedures and should be paid “fee for service”. Our office fee for each cleaning received is only
$75.00 and it can be added to the monthly billing statement.

No insurance claims will be processed for the two elective cleanings performed each year at our
office. Hence, the typical two cleanings per year normally covered by insurance at the general
dentist’s office are to be left untouched in order to avoid any competition.

A patient may not participate in our program without alternating appointments with their general
dentist’s office.
Remember dental health begins with good oral hygiene. With the combined efforts of your
dentist, orthodontist, dental hygienists, and yourself, a healthier orthodontic result is
promising. Thank you for the dedication to your or your child’s oral hygiene. Our office
appreciates your partnership in helping us achieve a healthy orthodontic result.
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