If your pediatric dentist has recommended orthodontic treatment for your child, like braces, you may be concerned about how to prevent cavities during this time. With traditional braces, it can be hard for children to adequately clean their teeth because they have to make sure they clean all-around brackets and archwires. Read on for some tips to help your child prevent cavities, before, during, and after treatment.
Before Braces
Before your child gets his or her braces, the pediatric dentist will likely want to do a good cleaning to make sure that the braces aren't covering up plaque and other debris that could cause cavities. You may also want to ask the dentist about applying sealants to your child's teeth. Sealants are resins that can be applied to the chewing surfaces of teeth, and they do a great job of protecting teeth from cavities. Since your child may occasionally miss food debris in brackets/archwires, sealants are a great way to protect teeth from a build-up of plaque.
During Braces
While sealants are a great way to prevent cavities, they aren't a cure-all – your child still needs to take good care of his or her teeth. Your pediatric dentist can give your child special toothbrushes that are smaller and can fit between braces components. Your dentist can also give your child floss threaders, which make it easier for your child to floss and prevent the floss thread from shredding. You may want to invest in a water flosser for your child. Water flossers send a strong jet of water which can help to dislodge food debris that may be stuck in the braces. One study found that a water flosser could significantly reduce plaque than manual brushing and string-flossing alone.
After Braces
After your child gets his or her braces removed, he or she may have white spot lesions (WSL) on enamel that was previously covered by brackets. WSLs are areas where the enamel is lost minerals and they can be precursors to cavity formation. Your pediatric dentist can prescribe a remineralization paste to help your child heal these areas. One study found that using certain re-mineralizing pastes could improve the mineral content and appearance of demineralized enamel. Some of these pastes can be used in conjunction with regular toothpaste, while other re-mineralizing pastes are formulated to replace toothpaste. Your child's pediatric dentist can tell you how long your child should use this type of toothpaste.
Reach out to a pediatric dentist in your area for more information on how to prevent cavities during orthodontic treatment.
Share27 March 2021
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