In the field of orthodontic treatment, the lip bumper plays a vital role. Although not a very common option in treatment, the good news is that if you are a general dentist planning to advance in your career, you can enroll in various courses online to upgrade your understanding. Today, you can enroll in orthodontics courses for general dentist and learn about how this dental appliance works for children, as well as its various uses.
Actually, the lip bumper appliance comes with a unique and special design, which helps to correct or hold the lower adult molar teeth in the right position. This helps to prevent it from coming forward and makes more room for your set of lower teeth. It also works by moving the molars to mouth’s backside or allows the front teeth set to drift forward slightly.
In some cases, the lip bumper appliance helps to stop the lower lips from any form of contraction habits, which allow the lower teeth, set to align. In ideal situations, the lip bumper dental appliance helps with mixed dentition, meaning the child with the problem has both primary and permanent (baby and adult) teeth. The ideal time to use this appliance is when the permanent or adult molars erupt, but the primary molars also remain in the mouth. As mentioned above, you should note that lip bumpers are not for adults.
Patient Education in a Summary
As a brief summary, the main purpose of the lip bumper is to hold the lower molars, while allowing the lower set of teeth to move forward, in turn making more space for the crowded set of teeth. This happens because the bumpers keep the lower lip off the lower front of teeth, at the same time; this exerts a force on the back teeth to prevent them from moving or coming forward. Generally, parents prefer this treatment as an alternative to the extraction of teeth in their children.
At first, the lip bumper ties in place and its removal will not be possible. However, general dentists who go through Gerety Orthodontic Seminars and courses can un-tie the lip bumper and they enable its removal when brushing. In some cases, your child may need to wear the appliance only at night. Eventually, this will help to maintain the correction your child achieves during the full time of wearing it.
The Parts of a Lip Bumper
When you take your child to an orthodontist to place the lip bumpers, they will start around the first permanent molars, where they place bands to hold the lip bumper in the mouth. These are stainless steel bands and they appear like silver rings, fitting precisely around the teeth, or you can say in a particular custom way.
When the appliance is in place, they cement the bands to maintain a balance in the mouth. Dentists then attach small band tubes to allow the wires of the lip bumpers to fit precisely in place. They further use tiny elastic bands to hold the wires in place.
Around the teeth, a single, thick stainless wire then runs on the lower teeth outside the section from the first left molar all the way to the right first molar. This is exactly where the metal wires will fit in the band tubes. Orthodontists then add two loops in the lower wire, which they activate in order to make the appliance accomplish a particular job. In the front area, they use a small acrylic type of shields in the front area. This is exactly where the specialists place it to prevent the risks of any injuries in the gums or lips.
Home Care Tips
When you have your child go through the lip bumper therapy, it can stay in his or her mouth for about a year. It is important that you ensure they take proper care of it and keep the teeth in order to have the appliance work as a success. The lip bumpers could be either fixed or removable. If they are removable, it is vital to wear them for about 24 hours in each day, except when you floss and brush.
Note that oral hygiene is important to prevent any problems like gum diseases and cavities. Brushing daily and flossing is vital to remove food debris and plaque from the gums, between the teeth spaces and the components of the appliance. If the dentist fixes the lip bumper to the teeth, then oral Waterpik will help here to remove the debris and remaining plaque after flossing and brushing.
The Do’s and Don’ts of Wearing Lip Bumpers
The Do’s include:
- Wear the lip bumpers full time, when sleeping and eating
- Brush well on the lip bumper and the bands properly
- When the doctor removes the appliance, make sure your child brushes the teeth, bumper and underneath the gums properly
- Use painkillers for pain relief
The Don’ts include:
- Avoid giving your child taffy, chewing gum, or sticky candy while the lip bumper is in their mouth
- Avoid twisting or pulling the bumper out. This can loosen the bands, pull it gently
- Avoid leaving it out of your mouth for any reason, or it can affect the results.
For further information and guidance, make sure that you discuss all your options with your orthodontist.
