Learning Braces vs. Liners in Dental Hygienist School

Liners and braces are often used on patients with misaligned, crowded or overlapping teeth. They both function as dental treatments for straightening teeth. Although they offer the same end result, braces and liners operate in different ways. Each tool has its own pros and cons which you should understand and recommend the one that is best suited for a patient depending on their dental condition, needs, and preferences.

How Braces and Liners work?

When you dental hygienist school Toronto, one of the topics you are likely to cover in-depth involves braces and liners. Both procedures are recommended for realigning and straightening teeth even though they work differently. For a start, braces will need to be adjusted and tightened over the course of treatment until the desired results are reached. They come in different colors or even clear braces, which some patients prefer. Braces simply work by pulling the teeth in the desired direction by extorting tension. On the other hand, liners are made using clear plastic. The liners are designed to guide the teeth to their desired position. After every few weeks, a newer model is designed and placed on the patient.

Which is Easy to Maintain?

For most patients, one of their main concerns is how they will be required to maintain the dental treatment administered to ensure it’s effective. Both braces and liners require some form of maintenance. In fact, when recommending this to patients, it’s important to explain the implications each would have on their daily oral routine.

As you will probably learn in dental hygienist school Canada, when the braces or liners are placed, the patient will be required to visit the dental clinic on a fairly regular basis. With braces, the patient may be required to come for a dental visit at least once every month. With liners, appointments are usually set after every 4 to 6 weeks. For both options, the patient’s overall oral health will determine how often they would need to visit the dentist.

Liners can be removed which means that brushing and flossing will be much easier for the patient. Braces, on the other hand, are permanently attached so the patient may find a challenge getting rid of food particles that get stuck in between the metal wires. Liners are often recommended because they make it easier for the patient to carry on with their daily oral routine by regular brushing and flossing.

Understanding the Right Treatment for Each Patient

As a dental hygienist, you’ll find it difficult to address the question of whether liners are better than braces because the answer will depend on the patient’s unique needs. Liners can be used to treat issues like overlapping teeth or crowding but some complex misalignment issues can only be fixed using braces. Some patients are too concerned about how they will look wearing braces so liners are a great option because they are typically discreet and invisible. The main goal should be to help the patient achieve their desired results.