As dental hygienist, we need to be aware that during these treatment phases the child may encounter more oral hygiene problems. Since appliances and braces trap food and plaque around the teeth, we can offer suggestions during this time to maintain a healthy mouth. The irrigator will do a great job cleaning around the appliances and braces by flushing food out. In addition, recommending an orthodontic toothbrush that has grooved bristles will allow for better contact with the teeth above and below the braces. For many children with a cleft, there is a psychological component in their oral hygiene care.
Some children don t feel personally good about their mouth.
Others don t like things done to their mouths, especially after all the treatment they ve went through. Dental hygienist will need to explore each child s individual needs and create a plan that can be followed. Recent studies have shown that fetal skin tissue heals without scarring if it is repaired early in gestation. Testing this lack of scarring phenomenon was performed on a fetal lamb model. Surgical clefts of the palate were created and repaired in the same operation in ten fetal lambs performed at different gestational ages.