Keeping Your Lips From Catching on Your Braces
Although mouth guards are recommended for competitive athletics, there are times when lip protection is also needed when braces are worn.
There are several situations where lip protection is helpful when wearing orthodontic appliances such as braces. One of these times is the “newbie” period when the patient is first adjusting to the presence of a lot of strange metal in their mouth. As the patient becomes more accustomed to the braces, they naturally avoid contact with the metal edges and the soft tissue of the lips. During this adjustment period, lip protection is very useful. There are several types of lip protectors available. The best ones are actually attached to the wires of the braces by small adjustable hooks to provide a perfect fit.
Even when the patient has become comfortable with the braces, lip protection can still be useful for specific situations. Some sports activities are of a nature where a full mouth guard is not necessary and yet some slight risk exists. Tennis is a good example. Although one does not normally expect to be hit in the mouth playing tennis, it is not totally out of the realm of possibility. An impact to the mouth could cause the braces to damage the soft tissue of the lips. Simple lip protectors guard against this without the expense or even the restrictions of full mouth guards.
Another situation where lip protectors and braces play a factor is musicians. It is sometimes impossible for musicians to form the proper lip seal needed to play instruments like trombones, trumpets, clarinets, oboes, and flutes. Musicians speak of an “embouchure” which is a term for the type of lip to instrument seal that must be produced in order to play certain notes. Many patients find this impossible to do when they wear braces. This causes many patients to feel that they must make a choice between their musical participation and orthodontic treatments. The better grade of lip protectors allow this embouchure to occur with no difficulty. The lip protectors enable the patient to continue playing his musical instrument during the course of his treatment period.
The lip protectors also prevent laceration of the lip tissue from brace wires or edges, but also from sharp or uneven teeth. This is why they are valuable during physical activity of any kind. They are very inexpensive and do not cause the discomfort of full contact mouth guards, so their use is not a real detriment to the enjoyment of any activity. The lips are very soft tissue and very sensitive to damage. It just makes a lot of sense to provide the extra security when wearing braces and participating in physical activity that could accidentally lacerate the lips. This is true even if the chances are fairly remote.
Dental wax serves much the same purpose of protection, but it has the disadvantages of sticking to the braces and not lasting quite as long. Some musicians have used it, however, to provide “embouchure” when playing their instruments. All in all, the better types of lip protectors are long lasting, do not stick to the braces, and they provide a higher level of protection. In cases where lip sores or trauma already exists, the lip protectors can seal off the area from further damage and promote healing.
Aazdak Alisimo writes about orthodontic treatment at OrthodontistWeb.com.
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- Written by admin on September 30, 2008 at 9:32 pm
- Category: Dental Healthcare
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