How long do gel trays stay in place?
Seat the trays on the upper and lower teeth and let them remain in place for 5 minutes.
How to prevent fluoride from reaching the surface of the tooth?
Food and plaque can prevent the fluoride from reaching the surface of the tooth. Place a thin ribbon of the fluoride gel into each upper and lower fluoride tray so that each tooth space has some fluoride. Either 0.4% stannous fluoride ( Gel Kam) or 1.1% sodium fluoride (Prevident) may be used. The fluoride can be spread into a thin film ...
How to use fluoride carriers?
How to Use Custom Fluoride Carriers (Trays) At bedtime, remove partial or full dentures from the mouth. Brush teeth thoroughly with soft toothbrush and regular toothpaste. Floss teeth by sliding the floss up and down each side of each tooth. Note: It is very important to remove all food and plaque from between teeth before using fluoride.
How long should you wait to eat after using fluoride?
Very Important – do not rinse mouth, drink or eat for at least 30 minutes after fluoride use.
How to clean a sandpaper trays?
Rinse and dry the trays thoroughly after each use. Clean them by brushing them with a toothbrush and toothpaste.
Can you boil trays in a hot car?
Do not boil the trays or leave them in a hot car as they may warp or melt.
What is fluoride trays?
Impressions for fluoride trays. Fluoride trays are custom-fitted soft plastic trays that are used to apply fluoride. Fluoride is used to help prevent the formation of cavities.
How long before radiation therapy can you extract teeth?
Teeth with severe infection or those that may cause problems during or after therapy should be removed (extracted). Extractions should be done at least one week before the start of chemotherapy or radiation therapy to provide enough time for proper healing. Teeth with cavities should be restored with fillings.
What is the side effect of Xerostomia?
The most common side effect is dry mouth (xerostomia). Xerostomia is a result of radiation injury to the salivary glands. It means the salivary glands produce less saliva and the saliva is thicker. The normal protective effect of saliva on the teeth is lost and there is an increase in oral bacteria that cause cavities.
What happens when dental therapy ends?
When therapy ends, you need to continue with good dental care in order to keep your teeth and gums healthy. Your salivary glands will be making less saliva and you will still be at risk for developing cavities and gum disease.
How to stop mouth sores after chemo?
Medications to prevent sores and help with discomfort are available and can be prescribed for you. As a comfort, ask for ice chips or sugar free popsicles to suck on while you are receiving chemotherapy. Research has shown this may decrease mouth sores by 60 percent.
Why does my neck hurt after radiation?
This is caused by a decrease in the blood supply to the bones of the head and tissue of the neck during radiation treatment . These changes result in slow healing from infection, trauma or especially when teeth are removed soon after radiation therapy.
What is radiation therapy?
Radiation therapy is often used to treat individuals with cancer of the head and neck. It is delivered to the head and neck area to destroy cancer cells but unfortunately, some normal cells are injured as well. During radiation treatment, patients may also experience mouth sores.
Is a cavity liner FDA approved?
However it is FDA approved as a cavity liner and a desensitizing agent. Its use as a caries-preventive agent is considered off-label, but is clinically acceptable as exhibited by its wide use in most U.S. dental schools and by the addition of the ADA-CDT procedure code, D1206 in 2007.
Is fluoride varnish being used anymore?
You are justified in questioning the statement that fluoride varnish is not being used anymore. In fact, to the contrary, the use of fluoride varnish is expanding due to strong evidence to support its use for a variety of patients.
Is varnish safe for dental caries?
The product representative is correct in stating that varnish is not FDA approved for the reduction of dental caries. However it is FDA approved as a cavity liner and a desensitizing agent. Its use as a caries-preventive agent is considered off-label, but is clinically acceptable as exhibited by its wide use in most U.S. dental schools and by the addition of the ADA-CDT procedure code, D1206 in 2007. The new code D1206 “Topical Fluoride Varnish: Therapeutic application for moderate to high caries risk patients” is used for the application of fluoride varnish to the entire dentition that may or may not be administered in combination with a prophylaxis for all ages. Fluoride varnish offers many advantages over tray applications in terms of patient acceptance, tooth coverage (especially for exposed root surfaces and around orthodontic brackets), and increased contact time with the tooth surface. I recommend reading the ADA report for additional information.
Is fluoride varnish better than tray?
Fluoride varnish offers many advantages over tray applications in terms of patient acceptance, tooth coverage (especially for exposed root surfaces and around orthodontic brackets), and increased contact time with the tooth surface. I recommend reading the ADA report for additional information.
How long does it take to apply fluoride gel?
Some foams and gels state they only need to be applied for one minute, however the CDC states “The application time for fluoride gel and foam treatments is 4 minutes. In clinical practice, applying fluoride gel for 1 minute rather than 4 minutes is common, but the efficacy of this shorter application time has not been tested in human clinical ...
Why change your fluoride protocol?
For those of you not easily convinced to change your fluoride protocol, here is a list of reasons you should consider making the change. 1. Convenience – As I’ve already mentioned the convenience of fluoride varnish compared to fluoride foam or gel is life changing. Fluoride varnish does not require isolation or drying of the teeth, ...
How long does it take to cure fluoride varnish?
I like to be able to answer “About 30 seconds” versus having to tell them at least 4 minutes.
Is fluoride varnish safe for children?
Age is not a factor – According to the ADA, fluoride foam and gels are not recommended for children under age 6, only 2.26% fluoride varnish is recommended for children under age 6. [3] A study was conducted that evaluated 2,424 children age 0-5, receiving on average 4 fluoride varnish treatments over a 3-year span, the researchers found zero fluoride varnish-related adverse events. [5] Fluoride varnish can be used for all age groups, which makes it a more universal product. There is no need to stock several different types of fluoride, if one type can be used on all patients. It will save storage space as well, no more big boxes or bags of foam trays.
Can you use fluoride varnish on all patients?
Fluoride varnish can be used for all age groups, which makes it a more universal product. There is no need to stock several different types of fluoride, if one type can be used on all patients. It will save storage space as well, no more big boxes or bags of foam trays. 3.
Can fluoride be cross contaminated?
It is worth mentioning that some fluoride gels are manufactured in warehouses that also manufacture tree nut products, therefore cross contamination is possible with gel as well. For the safety of your patients, please always check with the manufacturer when your patient is allergic to peanuts or tree nuts.
Does fluoride varnish help with caries?
Efficacy – Studies have shown that fluoride varnish is more effective at reducing dental caries than other topical fluoride treatments. Several studies show as much as a 75% reduction in dental carries with the use of fluoride varnish, as compared to a 26% reduction with fluoride gel and foam.