Wearing Braces, Invisalign or Expander During COVID-19?

To our Braces Haven family, 

We take pride in serving the community, delivering excellence, and maintaining the absolute safety of our patients, families and staff. For this reason and per the guidelines set out by the Public Health Authority and the Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario, our office is temporarily closed. In light of the current COVID-19 pandemic, only emergency dental procedures are permitted to help slow down the spread of the virus.

We urge you to follow the link below for the latest recommendations from the Ministry of Health:  https://covid-19.ontario.ca/

If you are experiencing a dental emergency, please contact the Ottawa Dental Emergency Service at 613-523-4185.

We will be monitoring the situation closely and will make sure to keep you informed. For the time being, all appointments up until April 13th have been rescheduled. If you have an upcoming appointment and have questions, please do not hesitate to reach us through email at info@braceshaven.com or call the office at 613-440-6116.  We will be retrieving messages regularly during this time.

Below are recommendations and answers to common questions.

If you are in Braces During COVID-19:

What To Do If Your Braces Wire is Poking You

  • If you have a pokey wire that is not bothering you, it is OK to leave it alone.
  • If you have a pokey wire that is bothering you, see if you can trim it using cuticle scissors or nail clippers. Use wax for temporary relief.

What To Do If Your Braces Bracket Breaks

  • If you have a bracket that breaks, it is OK! We will fix it at your next appointment.

What Should You Do If You Run Out Of Elastics

  • Continue your elastics as prescribed. If you run out, please let us know and we will make more available for pick-up.

What Foods to Avoid and Braces Maintenance

  • Avoid sticky and chewy foods.
  • Brush your teeth, use floss threaders, and keep your mouth clean.

If you are in Invisalign During COVID-19:

  • Continue to wear and change your aligners as prescribed. 
  • Download the My Invisalign app. You can upload pictures for Dr. Cohen to review and provide you feedback.  
  • If you reach your last aligners, do NOT stop wearing them.
  • Once you have finished all your aligners, continue to wear your last set and let us know. We are working on a solution with Invisalign to provide more “passive” aligners. 
  • If you lose or break an aligner, please let us know.
  • Continue your elastics as prescribed. If you run out, please let us know and we will make more available for pick-up.
  • Brush your teeth, floss, and keep your mouth clean.

If you have an Expander:

  • Continue the prescribed number of turns.
  • Once you have done the last turn, STOP turning. We will let you know if more turns are needed at your next appointment.

If you would have a specific question or area of concern, sending us pictures is the best way for Dr. Cohen to review and give you the most accurate information. Here is a link on how to take pictures:  https://youtu.be/M3pAsBlHNjk

We are also working on creating virtual appointments and will let you know if, and when, that becomes possible.

We will continue to monitor the recommendations from Ottawa Public Health and the Provincial and Federal agency for guidelines. We thank you in advance for your understanding and appreciate your continued support during these unprecedented times. We are all in this together!

In the meantime, stay well and be safe.

Sincerely,

Dr. Cohen & the Braces Haven team

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