How to Stay Sane (and Keep Smiling) During a Quarantine

Show of hands .. who still keeps all his mental acuities after about 3 months of quarantine?

The real answer is – unfortunately – no one!

Quarantine has hit us all pretty hard, not only financially, but physically and most of all mentally. People are fighting to keep their sanities, and spending more time with their families certainly isn’t helping much (especially if you used to work around the clock like most of us).

But everything eventually comes to an end. We are sure that we will look back on these hard times in a few years and laugh it off, and all we’ll remember is the good times and the great memories we made either alone or with family and loved ones.

So our advice to you .. make the most of this time. Stop considering quarantine as a lockdown, and more like an overdue vacation. Spend time with your kids, wives and husbands, and make sure to support them during these difficult times.

That’s our little piece of advice on how to stay sane (and keep smiling) during a quarantine. But what do we know .. right? We are dentists not therapists, so we might not know a lot about how to handle a quarantine mentally, but we sure know how to handle your teeth.

So here is our “Dental” advice on how to stay sane (and keep smiling) during a quarantine:

We directly address braces wearers. We know how much you hate to smile now (especially if you have traditional metallic braces), but believe us, if you don’t take care of your smile now, you would face a lot more problems in the future.

So here is what you should do:

1. Up your oral hygiene game:
   Okay so cleaning your teeth with braces is almost impossible .. we know. This means that you have to work twice as hard to keep the teeth (and braces) clean and plaque free. If you don’t have an electric tooth brush yet, get one now. If you used to clean your teeth only once a day or every other day like most people do, you need to brush at least twice a day, and never go to bed without brushing. You may not notice the damage right now, but once the braces come off, you will wish you had taken greater care.
2. Keep in touch with your orthodontist:
   In today’s day and age, it is very easy to keep in touch with your doctor. If you are afraid to go out because of Covid-19, you could benefit from a virtual consultation with your orthodontist. Establishing an online connection is very easy, and keeps you safe from having to risk contracting the virus.
3. Brushing alone is not enough:
   While brushing is the main pillar of oral hygiene, it can’t act alone. It has to be supplemented by 2 very important aids:
   1. Flossing: Which is very difficult with braces, so we recommend getting a waterpik or finding a method that best works with you.
   2. Mouthwash: there are a few types of mouthwash, each serving a particular purpose. For braces wearers, we recommend a Fluoride mouthwash. Fluoride helps removing the plaque and forming a protective layer around the teeth, shielding them from harm.

We hope our advice would help get you through quarantine physically and mentally intact. If you need more advice or want to schedule a virtual consultation, contact us at Hanson Place Orthodontics at (718) 622-2695, or visit us at One Hanson Place, Suite 702 Brooklyn, NY 11243