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== oral home care techniques

Good oral hygiene is essential for successful orthodontic treatment. The presence of orthodontic appliances placed on the teeth makes traditional oral home care techniques very challenging to perform.[92] It is important that a good oral hygiene regime is established at the beginning of treatment and adhered to. A lapse in this may lead to a common complication of orthodontic treatment - tooth decay and periodontal disease. The earliest sign of tooth decay that can be detected with the naked eye is the presence of white spot lesions. These can occur as early as 4 weeks after treatment with an appliance commences. It is therefore important to ensure that all surfaces of the tooth’s crown are reached to ensure effective plaque removal. The places with the highest level of plaque accumulation for someone with an orthodontic appliance is around the maxillary lateral incisors and canines, gingival margin and appliance brackets. Regular toothbrushes may struggle to reach all these places therefore providing inadequate cleaning. A toothbrush that is regularly replaced, Interdental brushes and floss are helpful in achieving this. Orthodontists recommend that those currently undergoing orthodontic treatment brush twice daily with a fluoride toothpaste – one containing 2,800ppm of NaF is indicated for those with orthodontic appliances. It is also recommended that patients also use fluoride mouth rinse at a separate time to brushing. Diet is also an important part of establishing a good oral health regimen. Avoiding crunchy and sticky foods will not only reduce the level of food deposits around the appliance but also protect the delicate wires and brackets against breakage and separation. Reducing the level of sugar in the diet also decreases the risk of caries, that can lead to demineralisation around the appliance. Limiting high sugar food and drink to meal times is an effective way of doing this. In between meals snacking on healthy foods such as wholemeal bread, dry crackers, breadsticks vegetables sticks and cheese. These are all safe food and will help to reduce the risk of forming caries. Be aware eating hard or chewy foods such as apples and carrots can lead to wire breakages, cut these foods up first or avoid them completely for the duration of treatment. When wearing a removable appliance, a high quality of care is equally important. After each meal the appliance should be removed, and the teeth cleaned as normal. The toothbrush and paste should then be used to gently brush away any food or plaque deposits from the appliance, over a bowl of water to prevent breakage if dropped. It is ideal for patients to carry a tooth brush with them during treatment to allow this level of cleaning to take place while at school or work.

Orthdontic home care
Good oral hygiene is essential for successful orthodontic treatment. The presence of orthodontic appliances placed on the teeth makes traditional oral home care techniques very challenging to perform.[92]  It is important that a good oral hygiene regime is established at the beginning of treatment and adhered to. A lapse in this may lead to a common complication of orthodontic treatment - tooth decay and periodontal disease. The earliest sign of tooth decay that can be detected with the naked eye is the presence of white spot lesions. These can occur as early as 4 weeks after treatment with an appliance commences. It is therefore important to ensure that all surfaces of the tooth’s crown are reached to ensure effective plaque removal. The places with the highest level of plaque accumulation for someone with an orthodontic appliance is around the maxillary lateral incisors and canines, gingival margin and appliance brackets. Regular toothbrushes may struggle to reach all these places therefore providing inadequate cleaning. A toothbrush that is regularly replaced, Interdental brushes and floss are helpful in achieving this. Orthodontists recommend that those currently undergoing orthodontic treatment brush twice daily with a fluoride toothpaste – one containing 2,800ppm of NaF is indicated for those with orthodontic appliances. It is also recommended that patients also use fluoride mouth rinse at a separate time to brushing. Diet is also an important part of establishing a good oral health regimen. Avoiding crunchy and sticky foods will not only reduce the level of food deposits around the appliance but also protect the delicate wires and brackets against breakage and separation. Reducing the level of sugar in the diet also decreases the risk of caries, that can lead to demineralisation around the appliance. Limiting high sugar food and drink to meal times is an effective way of doing this. In between meals snacking on healthy foods such as wholemeal bread, dry crackers, breadsticks vegetables sticks and cheese. These are all safe food and will help to reduce the risk of forming caries. Be aware eating hard or chewy foods such as apples and carrots can lead to wire breakages, cut these foods up first or avoid them completely for the duration of treatment. When wearing a removable appliance, a high quality of care is equally important. After each meal the appliance should be removed, and the teeth cleaned as normal. The toothbrush and paste should then be used to gently brush away any food or plaque deposits from the appliance, over a bowl of water to prevent breakage if dropped. It is ideal for patients to carry a tooth brush with them during treatment to allow this level of cleaning to take place while at school or work.

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