Wearing Six Month Braces while Dealing with Cancer

Having cancer can be a difficult phase in your life, but it doesn’t mean you can’t think about yourself and your appearance anymore. In fact, little positive experiences can improve your outlook and speed up your recovery process. If you want to straighten your teeth and fix your smile, you can use Six Month Braces.

Six Month Braces make use of clear brackets and tooth-colored archwires to resemble an invisible alignment system. Not to be confused with clear aligners, such as Invisalign, the structure of Six Month Braces are similar to traditional braces. The brackets are attached onto the teeth and the wires are used to make the necessary adjustments in teeth positioning.

If you only have minimal bite problems, Six Month Braces will be enough to fix your occlusion. The scope of the treatment is limited, especially because it only takes six months to complete the therapy. Afterwards, you will still need to wear retainers to prevent the teeth from moving back into their old crooked positions.

So how do Six Month Braces work for cancer patients?

Braces before Cancer Diagnosis

If you had Six Month Braces installed then suddenly got diagnosed with cancer while the therapy is ongoing, your doctor may ask your preference regarding the braces. If you only have a couple of months left before the braces are removed, it won’t be a big deal to finish the therapy before starting your cancer treatment. You may ask your dentist to remove your Six Month Braces if it’s only new and prioritize cancer treatment before resuming the therapy.

However, if you decide to undergo cancer treatment while you’re wearing braces (Six Month or otherwise), you may find it difficult to deal with the side effects of treatment while you have a dental appliance in your mouth.

Some of the negative effects of cancer treatment that can cause conflict with braces are:
Dry mouth (xerostomia). Chemotherapy and radiation both deplete the salivary glands and reduce the amount of saliva in the mouth. Saliva is the body’s natural antibacterial agent in the oral cavity and without it, bacteria can easily infect the teeth and gums. If you have dry mouth while wearing a dental appliance, you will feel very uncomfortable because the parts of the braces will scratch your dry inner lips.
Mouth sores (oral mucositis). Mouth sores often develop as a side effect of dry mouth and when the inner lips scratch the braces, you have a higher chance of getting mouth ulcers.
Vomiting (emesis). Almost all patients who undergo chemotherapy vomit frequently after the first couple of days. Because most patients require multiple chemotherapy sessions, they will suffer from emesis many times during their entire treatment. Vomit is acidic because it comes from the digestive tract, and this acidic can cause problems with your dental appliance. The acid can stain your teeth and once the braces are removed, you may notice markings around the area where the brackets used to be because of the acidic chemical reaction.
Poor appetite. Wearing braces already makes it slightly difficult to eat, but couple it with cancer treatment and you won’t be able to eat at all anymore.

Braces after Cancer Treatment

If you have already finished cancer treatment and you decide to improve your appearance as a survivor, fixing your teeth can be a good start. Six Month Braces are ideal for cancer survivors because they are lightweight, not as painful as metal and have a colorless appearance. You also only need to wear them for a short period, preventing any restrictions associated with your disease.

Before getting Six Month Braces, make sure you visit your orthodontist for a complete dental exam. Your dentist will need to plan your dental work first and depending on the condition of your teeth, you may be recommended to get crowns and bridges in USA.. It’s best to remove any decayed teeth and treat gum disease before wearing an orthodontic appliance. Also make sure that your dentist is familiar with the effects of cancer on the teeth and gums.

visit Emergency Dentists USA for a referral of a dentist near you.