Keeping Your Teeth White Between Dental Visits

If your child loses any of their molars prematurely, then the rest of their molars will be able to move. Teeth that move out of place can cause other teeth to grow in crooked, resulting in future dental issues. To prevent this from happening, your child's dentist might recommend getting a nance appliance. The appliance is attached to the back of your child's molars. The appliance will successfully keep your molars in place if it is properly maintained. However, poor maintenance habits will interfere with how well the device works. Fortunately, there are a few tips that you can use to help your child take care of their device.

Avoid Eating Sticky Foods

Eating sticky foods when your child has any kind of dental device or restoration in their mouth can disrupt the progress that the device has made. Eating sticky foods while wearing a nance appliance can result in the appliance loosening. The looser the appliance is, the less effective it is in keeping their molars in place. As a result, you may begin to notice that their teeth are shifting. Stay away from foods like gum, taffy, gummies, and other chewy or sticky candies that will stick to the device and pull on it. Inform teachers and other parents of the nance appliance as well so they can offer your child alternatives to sticky treats. If they have been eating food that might loosen the device, schedule an appointment with your dentist to have it tightened.

Use an Antibacterial Rinse to Clean the Device

One of the most common issues that occur when wearing dental devices are infections. Bacterial infections develop because individuals often neglect properly cleaning the device like they would their teeth. Dental devices like the nance appliance often accumulate food debris and other contaminants. It is important to remove these contaminants immediately after each meal. You can purchase a simple antibacterial rinse from your local grocery store. In addition, you can create your own from home using the herb thyme. Add a spoonful of dried thyme to a cup of hot water and allow the herb to steep for an hour. Strain the herb and apply the mixture to your child's mouth. Instruct them to diligently work it around their nance appliance and keep it in their mouth for a minute before rinsing.

Keeping your child's nance appliance in good shape will ensure that their molars remain in place. If you have more questions or need to see an orthodontist, contact James W. Logeman D.D.S. M.S.