LAS VEGAS, NEVADA-Braces are designed to provide patients with straight, healthy, beautiful teeth, but patients can sabotage the results if they ignore the recommended dental hygiene practices.
"Some patients develop white spot lesions, also referred to as the "bull's-eye" effect, around the brackets of their orthodontic appliances when they disregard our guidelines for dental care," says Dr. David Alpan, a Las Vegas orthodontist who provides braces for children and adults.
The chalky, white spots are the earliest sign of a cavity and are caused by prolonged exposure to the plaque that naturally accumulates on the tooth's surface. People undergoing orthodontic treatment are at a higher risk of developing these if they do not practice proper oral hygiene or skip regular visits for professional cleanings.
Lax dental hygiene creates an oral environment conducive for the bacterial plaque to build up on the enamel around the fixed brackets used in traditional metal braces and Incognito braces. The bacteria must be neutralized and removed promptly to stop this process, which is called demineralization. Eating and drinking creates the acid imbalance in the mouth that allows bacteria to attack the enamel of the teeth, and the fluoride in toothpaste helps repair and strengthen the enamel while protecting against cavities.
For patients with a high risk of dental caries, Alpan may recommend a special fluoride paste that creates a continuous, low-concentration presence of fluoride in saliva and plaque. Invisalign is also a good option for high-risk patients because the clear orthodontic aligners can be removed for easier brushing and flossing.
"Good dental hygiene means the patient can rest assured that they will have a beautiful, straight smile, a healthy mouth and no white spots when the braces come off," says Alpan, who is also a Los Angeles invisible braces dentist.
Learn More
Visit http://www.aeortho.com or call the office at (213) 382-8228 to learn more about Dr. David Alpan and Aesthetic Orthodontics.
About Dr. David Alpan
Dr. David Alpan earned the Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from the University of the Pacific School of Dentistry in San Francisco and became licensed to practice dentistry in California and Nevada in 1996. He went on to earn his Orthodontic Specialty certificate at UOP in 1998. During the same year, UOP awarded him the Master of Science in Dentistry (MSD) degree for his masters' thesis on the results of his two-year TMJ research project.
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