"I heard this was going to hurt"
While everyone experiences the first few days in braces or
Invisalign differently, you probably heard right. During the first few days in
treatment, your teeth will probably be sore or will feel rather odd, or
awkward. The first day you get your
braces you will probably just feel weird, like you have something foreign in
your mouth – because you do. You are most likely to feel pain and soreness
during the second and third days. After the third day, you should be fine. If
you experience any pain with your braces, there are a few things you can do to
get some relief.
Home Remedies
Rinsing your mouth with warm salt water will soothe it and
promote healing. Rinse several times a day or when your mouth has troublesome
sores. You can also take Tylenol or Ibuprofen every four hours. Dr. Gonzales also
suggests chewing a small piece of sugarless gum to help stimulate blood flow
and reduce some tension. You may experience the most pain when eating. Take
some Tylenol or Advil about an hour before you are going to eat. This will
reduce the amount of pain experienced when eating.
You can also eat cold foods like ice cream or yogurt. The coolness
of the food will help dull the pain. Ice packs applied to your mouth will help
as well. You can also swish ice water around your mouth, but DO NOT eat ice, as
it might break a bracket or two.
Cool Products
Products for canker sores can be applied to the mouth sores you
develop from your braces. In addition, rinsing with Peroxyl by Colgate can help
numb your cheeks to the pain and help heal any sores you develop in your mouth.
Dr. Gonzales and our team may have given you dental wax to put
on the abrasive areas of your braces to protect your mouth. Putting dental wax
on the brackets creates a barrier that keeps your mouth from getting scraped
and sore.
