Annals and Essences of Dentistry
Open Access

Role of Dental Appliances in Oral Care

Chen Fang^{* *}Correspondence: Chen Fang, Department of Dentistry, Purdue University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, Email:

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Description

There are a wide variety of dental appliances available. Device qualities include mandibular or tongue retention, construction, adjustability, capacity for jaw movement, and flexibility of materials. The effectiveness of various designs hasn't been compared in many research. A thorough evaluation of the efficacy of dental appliances revealed that no particular dental appliance design is especially beneficial in raising polysomnographic indices.

Typically, the creation of a custom dental appliance begins with the creation of dental casts of the patient's teeth and bite registration. These chairside operations, such as initiating or modifying the device after laboratory testing, are normally carried out by an experienced dentist. This process is time- and money-consuming as a result.

In contrast, a dental device known as "boil and bite" technology that is made of thermoplastic polymer materials has occasionally been introduced as a quick and cost-effective replacement for a custom appliance. The patient bites into the softened material with a somewhat forward-facing jaw posture until this configuration settles with cooling. Nevertheless, thermoplastic dental appliances have been associated with insufficient mandibular protrusion and insufficient retention in the patient's mouth.

Dentures

Dentures require meticulous cleaning. Two times per day, dentures should be mechanically cleaned using a soft toothbrush and denture cleaning solution. Toothpaste is not allowed since it can scratch acrylic and draw plaque because it is extremely abrasive. Dentures should be taken out at night because doing so has been linked to oral health issues. Denture stomatitis, an infection and reddening of the oral mucosa underneath the denture, is caused by Candida albicans (oral thrush), and sleeping with a denture in reduces saliva's antibacterial and cleansing defenses against these conditions. It is well-established that the risk of pneumonia in the elderly increases markedly when a denture is worn while sleeping. It is now recommended to store dentures in a dry container overnight because drying acrylic dentures for 8 hours significantly reduces the amount of Candida albicans on them. An alkaline-peroxide denture cleansing tablet should be used to soak a denture overnight about once every week because it has been demonstrated to reduce bacterial bulk and harmful organisms.

Retainer

As with dentures, it is advised to carefully care for and clean retainers at least once each day (avoiding toothpaste and using dental appliance). Once every week using an alkaline-peroxide denture cleaning pill. It is better to rinse in cold water because heated temperatures will cause the retainer's shape to change. To reduce the amount of germs that is returned to the mouth, it is advised to rinse the retainer before use and store it in a plastic case.

Braces

Use a small or specialized toothbrush with a soft head to get to regions that are challenging to reach while wearing braces. After every meal, you should definitely brush your teeth. A toothpaste with a high fluoride content might be more effective during therapy. Just as important as brushing your teeth is regular flossing, which helps to remove plaque buildup and microscopic food particles stuck in your braces or between your teeth. Interdental brushes or floss threaders for braces are another option. Moreover, a dentist could prevent dental decay by applying fluoride dental appliances (high fluoride concentrations) every 6 to 8 weeks while a patient is receiving treatment.