What day of braces hurts the most?

Mild pain or discomfort is a normal side effect of wearing braces. But you should only feel the discomfort immediately after your orthodontist places or adjusts your braces or wires. The discomfort typically disappears within four days, and braces pain rarely lasts longer than a week.

When you first get braces, it’s also common to feel some pain in your cheeks for about a week. Thankfully, adjustments shouldn’t make this kind of discomfort worse.

Keep reading to learn more about how to find pain relief from braces at home. Afterward, schedule a consultation with an experienced orthodontist in Oakbrook, IL.

To realign your smile, braces put stress on your teeth. This pressure often makes your teeth and gums sensitive. For a short period after their initial placement, you might also feel some pain in your cheeks. Most types of braces are designed to ease the pain as much as possible, but they can still rub against your cheeks, causing soreness or even small cuts.

Why do Rubber Bands on Braces Hurt So Much?

Orthodontists often add rubber bands to braces to apply additional pressure to your teeth. Just like with the wires connecting your braces, this pressure can be painful. Like with any change, it’s only painful in the very beginning. After a few days, your mouth adjusts to the extra pressure and the pain goes away.

How to Relieve Braces Pain at Home

If your braces are bugging you, there are a number of simple tricks you can try to give yourself some relief.

• Eat Soft Foods

Soft foods like mashed potatoes, noodles, and soup provide the nourishment you need without putting any additional pressure on your teeth. Even better, treat yourself to a bowl of ice cream! If you’re not sensitive to temperature, the cold can help reduce inflammation.

• Ice Your Gums

Ice packs offer the same kinds of benefits as cold foods. Simply rest an ice pack covered in a towel on the outside of your mouth for 20 minutes at a time. The cold should reduce inflammation and provide pain relief.

• Take Pain Relievers For Braces

Over-the-counter pain medications like Advil can provide lasting relief for all kinds of braces pain. Oral anesthetics like Orajel are another great option. Simply apply the gel to your teeth and gums with your finger or a cotton swab.

• Use Wax

If your brackets and wires irritate your cheeks, orthodontic wax might be the solution you need. The soft barrier between your braces and the rest of your mouth is a great way to prevent cuts and irritation. Just be sure to remove the wax before you eat or brush your teeth, then reapply when you’ve finished. And while you should avoid swallowing the wax, it is non-toxic.

Having braces can be a pain, both literally and figuratively. Fortunately, most people only notice mild discomfort for a few days after they get their braces tightened. Going easy on your teeth with soft foods like mashed potatoes and ice cream goes a long way to counter the pain. And medications like Advil and Orajel are there to help if you need them.

Schedule an Orthodontic Consultation in Oakbrook, IL

If you have any other questions about orthodontic treatment, reach out to the experts at Oakbrook Orthodontics. We’d be happy to address your concerns and put your mind at ease about braces. It’s our goal to help you feel as comfortable as possible while we work to give you the smile you’ve always wanted! We’re the best orthodontists in Oakbrook, IL.

Call us today at (630) 705-7900 to speak to our orthodontic team.

One of the most common questions we get asked about braces is whether placing them causes any pain or discomfort.  Our answer is that braces do not hurt at all when they are applied to the teeth, so there is no reason to be anxious about the placement appointment.  There will be mild soreness or discomfort after the orthodontic wire is engaged into the newly placed brackets, which may last for a few days to a week.  Most patients experience some discomfort the first four days to a week after their braces, expanders, and/or wires are placed and after a wire adjustment and/or an activation appointment. Our appliances and wires are cutting-edge, and exert very light force that decrease any soreness associated with orthodontic treatment. However, some mild discomfort is still to be expected. Each person will gradually adapt to the discomfort associated with the orthodontic tooth movement.  

Before Leaving the Expressions Orthodontics Office

There are a few easy steps which we ask you to complete before you leave. Taking these steps helps minimize discomfort, ensure an optimal response to treatment, and keeps you prepared for your next visit.  Please make these steps part of your routine for each visit to Dr. Sunny Leong and Expressions Orthodontics.

1. CHECK WIRE ENDS
   Using your finger and tongue, check to see that the wire ends do not extend into areas which might poke or rub the cheek or tongue.
2. UNDERSTAND NEXT STEPS
   Make sure you understand what you are to do until your next appointment. This could include wearing headgear or elastics as instructed, adjusting the expander or following specific hygiene or diet instructions.
3. SUPPLIES
   Make sure you have an adequate supply of dental wax, special cleaning aids, elastic bands, or other related materials you may need for your braces or devices between appointments.
4. BOOK YOUR NEXT VISIT
   Always schedule your next appointment before leaving the office. Waiting a week or two after an appointment before scheduling your next office visit complicates our scheduling process, since appointments are programmed 4-6 weeks in advance. Postponing appointments is one of the main factors in longer treatment time.

Your First Week In Braces

The adhesive used for attaching the braces to your teeth dries on the outside quite quickly, but will take 24 hours to fully set. You can eat any time after leaving our office; however, we ask that you pay attention to the suggested list of foods that can be harmful to the braces (and your teeth). Until you get used to eating with your new braces it may be best to start on a diet of softer foods.  The easiest foods to eat with braces are things like yogurt, pudding, seedless bread, boiled vegetables, pasta, or thin soups.

We will provide and show you how to use dental wax to apply over the braces as necessary. This wax/silicone creates a smooth surface and alleviates irritation on the inner cheeks and lips. Additionally, over-the-counter pain medication (ibuprofen ie. Motrin and Advil usually works best if no allergies exisit) and may be taken as directed in combination with a rigorous regiment of salt water rinses to relieve the soreness.

After five days to a week, any initial discomfort associated with the braces should be gone or much improved. The teeth will have gradually acclimated to the braces, and eating should be much easier.

Alleviating Discomfort

• At first your braces will feel like they are sticking out, which is completely normal. As you get used to your braces and tooth alignment improves, this sensation will disappear and will cease to be a concern.  In fact, when you get your braces off, your teeth will feel strange without them for a while, too!
• Even though the brackets have been rounded and smoothed you may find it helpful to use a small piece of wax around a bracket that is creating an irritation.  As your cheeks toughen, you will have fewer irritations.
• Some teeth, often the front teeth, may be tender and sensitive to pressure at first. Most patients have some soreness during the first eight hours which will gradually disappear.
• Exactly when the discomfort ceases is impossible to predict and is different for each patient.  If you want, you can also take an over-the-counter pain medication to help.

Just Remember: Any soreness you feel from the braces is just the crookedness leaving your smile!

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