MIAMI, CORAL GABLES AND BRICKELL, FLORIDA – As the summer comes to an end and students prepare for their return to college, it\’s time to squeeze in a dental check-up, cleaning and an appointment for an orthodontic check-up.

Most students who go to school out of town maintain their dental and orthodontic appointments with their providers in their hometown, which sometimes leaves small windows of opportunity to get the treatment they need, says orthodontics treatment expert Dr. Stephen Grussmark. \”Parents and students alike work diligently to schedule appointments during Thanksgiving, Christmas and Spring breaks, as well as over the summer,\” says Grussmark.

Patients who are in conventional braces should have adjustments made and a check-up to ensure all brackets and wires are intact before returning to campus. It\’s a good idea to do this as close as possible to the time of departing leave for school, since there is the possibility of having to go a bit longer between check-ups once back at school. \”It\’s relatively easy to continue orthodontic treatment with Invisalign while students are gone to college,\” Grussmark says.

For example, orthodontists often give Invisalign patients additional aligners to get them through until their next anticipated break from school. Invisalign treatment is conducive to college situations, because patients are given a series of aligners at each orthodontic check-up. They wear each aligner for about two weeks before moving on to the next aligner in the series. Providing a few extra aligners could make it easier to go longer between appointments without losing any progress on treatment.

Dental Visits
Check-ups with a Coral Gables dentist and cleanings also are very important, particularly for patients who have dental sealants on their teeth. Sealants are a plastic coating applied to the molars to protect them from the bacteria that leads to tooth decay.

Many college students today had dental sealant applications when they were children, and it