Braces!
Tue Jul 19, 2005 8:18 pm
As those of you who frequent NNV may know, yesterday I got the brackets for my braces put on. All I have to say is....Ow.
I don't think I've ever experienced such pain. There's the dull, throbbing ache from the rubber bands jammed in between my back teeth, then the sharp sting of this piece of metal cutting into my upper lip, and then my bottom teeth decided to hurt for no reason, seeing as nothing's been done to them. (I have a huge overbite, and if they put the things on the lower teeth I'll just snap them off.) I can't eat anything because it really hurts to chew, so I've been living off of soup for two days.
Any helpful hints/suggestions to make the agony a bit less unrelenting?
I don't think I've ever experienced such pain. There's the dull, throbbing ache from the rubber bands jammed in between my back teeth, then the sharp sting of this piece of metal cutting into my upper lip, and then my bottom teeth decided to hurt for no reason, seeing as nothing's been done to them. (I have a huge overbite, and if they put the things on the lower teeth I'll just snap them off.) I can't eat anything because it really hurts to chew, so I've been living off of soup for two days.
Any helpful hints/suggestions to make the agony a bit less unrelenting?
Tue Jul 19, 2005 8:21 pm
Good grief you're scaring me! I'm having braces in two weeks time and I'm terrifed! I'd also like this advice. 
Tue Jul 19, 2005 9:01 pm
Well everytime they tinker with your braces you'll have to wait a week or so for the pain to stop, in the meantime take a combination of panadol and neurofen to ease the pain.
Tue Jul 19, 2005 9:05 pm
I can't remember if I took paracetamol or ibuprofen/nurofen but one of those definitely does the trick at making it less painful. Also I was given wax to put on the brackets to begin with to stop them cutting into my mouth so much - after a while you don't need it as you get used to it but if you can get your hands on some from your dentist or orthadontist or someone then that would help a lot 
Eat squishy food to begin with, soup and bananas etc. Within a week it is much better, honest!
Also have you had the wires put on yet? That's the most painful part and ever after when you get them tightened up so make sure you have some kind of painkillers like the ones above and you won't go far wrong.
But the pain and discomfort does get better much faster than you expect and it's all worth it in the end *gives soggy cookies that don't hurt teeth*
Eat squishy food to begin with, soup and bananas etc. Within a week it is much better, honest!
Also have you had the wires put on yet? That's the most painful part and ever after when you get them tightened up so make sure you have some kind of painkillers like the ones above and you won't go far wrong.
But the pain and discomfort does get better much faster than you expect and it's all worth it in the end *gives soggy cookies that don't hurt teeth*
Tue Jul 19, 2005 9:18 pm
What you want to do is alternate between drugs.
Have a paracetamol, then after 4 hours or whatever, have an aspirin. after four hours, a paracetamol, etc. Because the drugs are, i believe, entirely different, you wont OD since you'll be taking a paracetamol every 8 hours and the same for aspirin, but you'll have lasting pain relief.
I read this somewhere, but you might want to check it up before you listen to my advice.
Have a paracetamol, then after 4 hours or whatever, have an aspirin. after four hours, a paracetamol, etc. Because the drugs are, i believe, entirely different, you wont OD since you'll be taking a paracetamol every 8 hours and the same for aspirin, but you'll have lasting pain relief.
I read this somewhere, but you might want to check it up before you listen to my advice.
Wed Jul 20, 2005 12:57 am
I had to have my bottom brackets put in after my uppers, too.
Don't worry. You'll experience this pain once again when the orthodontist makes you wear rubber bands. ;D
The rubber bands between your back teeth are separators, right?
Don't worry. You'll experience this pain once again when the orthodontist makes you wear rubber bands. ;D
The rubber bands between your back teeth are separators, right?
Wed Jul 20, 2005 2:10 am
Aaahhh...it was only 2 years ago since I had mine...
For me it really wasn't that painful. The seperators did tire my jaw a little for some reason. I had my lower teeth done first and wore a retainer for my upper teeth. That was the time when I couldn't eat properly or talk properly >_> I blame the retainer. Anyway, when I finally had both upper and lower, it hurt for a week or so; during that week, I cut up almost everything and slowly put it in my mouth to chew. I became the last person to finish in every meal -_- Even if I wanted to eat junk food, I had to cut it up and put it in my mouth. So the tip is: cut up everything before you shove it in your mouth
You'll get used to it
You have to visit the orthdontist almost every month to get them checked and tightened. Oh yes and rubber bands don't be lazy and not wear them or you'll end up having them for a longer period of time like me.
:D I'm having mine off in 2 weeks :3
For me it really wasn't that painful. The seperators did tire my jaw a little for some reason. I had my lower teeth done first and wore a retainer for my upper teeth. That was the time when I couldn't eat properly or talk properly >_> I blame the retainer. Anyway, when I finally had both upper and lower, it hurt for a week or so; during that week, I cut up almost everything and slowly put it in my mouth to chew. I became the last person to finish in every meal -_- Even if I wanted to eat junk food, I had to cut it up and put it in my mouth. So the tip is: cut up everything before you shove it in your mouth
You'll get used to it
You have to visit the orthdontist almost every month to get them checked and tightened. Oh yes and rubber bands don't be lazy and not wear them or you'll end up having them for a longer period of time like me.
:D I'm having mine off in 2 weeks :3
Wed Jul 20, 2005 2:51 am
Why'd you have to tell me this now! I'm getting braces soon! 
Wed Jul 20, 2005 4:28 am
To everyone getting worried: Braces may be a little painful while they are actually in the process of straightening your teeth but when you look back you'll realise that it was worth it (especially because after awhile you don't actually recall the pain, only that you had it)
I found I used to stick to yoghurt, jelly, very fresh bread (crusts cut-off) and anything else that was soft for the first day or so. It may just have been me but I also refused to go off solids completely when my teeth were sore but that was because I knew if I started I'd probably end up habitually refusing solids because of only a little pain - couldn't be that healthy IMO.
If the pain got too bad I'd take a Nurofen every so often.
Also, grinding your teeth, clenching you jaw anything like that will actually make it worse I found, just try to keep your jaw relaxed while its still sore. Don't get vicious when you brush your teeth when they are sore either, be gentle but don't be worried about spending an additional 15-20 minutes brushing your teeth to make sure you still do a good job.
I found I used to stick to yoghurt, jelly, very fresh bread (crusts cut-off) and anything else that was soft for the first day or so. It may just have been me but I also refused to go off solids completely when my teeth were sore but that was because I knew if I started I'd probably end up habitually refusing solids because of only a little pain - couldn't be that healthy IMO.
If the pain got too bad I'd take a Nurofen every so often.
Also, grinding your teeth, clenching you jaw anything like that will actually make it worse I found, just try to keep your jaw relaxed while its still sore. Don't get vicious when you brush your teeth when they are sore either, be gentle but don't be worried about spending an additional 15-20 minutes brushing your teeth to make sure you still do a good job.
Wed Jul 20, 2005 9:05 am
Oh dear. =(
I might have to get braces soon... and I'm 18. From what it sounds like, this isn't going to be a walk in the park.
I might have to get braces soon... and I'm 18. From what it sounds like, this isn't going to be a walk in the park.
Wed Jul 20, 2005 9:33 am
The hurting to chew will be OK in a few days. The dull ache will ease off about a week before you go back to have the brackets tightened
Nurofen plus is usually good for that kind of thing, because it has that codeine kick. Or Calprufen, which is the same sort of thing but half the price.
Nurofen plus is usually good for that kind of thing, because it has that codeine kick. Or Calprufen, which is the same sort of thing but half the price.
Wed Jul 20, 2005 12:05 pm
Didn't you get some kind of wax to put on the braces to prevent them from cutting into your lip? I got it and it really worked ^^;
Oh, and it will get better after a few days... Just eat alot of pudding and soft cake and stuff like that
Oh, and it will get better after a few days... Just eat alot of pudding and soft cake and stuff like that
Wed Jul 20, 2005 12:24 pm
*thanks God he doesn't need braces*
From what I've heard from my friends, having braces isn't as painful as that though, and the pain subsides after a few days, so aspiring braces-wearers can rest easy.
From what I've heard from my friends, having braces isn't as painful as that though, and the pain subsides after a few days, so aspiring braces-wearers can rest easy.
Wed Jul 20, 2005 1:00 pm
For me, the only three times when it hurt was when I got my four teeth pulled out, when they put in the wire, and when they changed to rubber bands, which was my last visit X.X I guess I'm lucky, because it only hurt for 3 or 4 days, while other people's teeth have hurt for a whole week ... >.<
I just bore with the pain by distracting myself. Didn't take nurofen or painkillers or anything. It seemed to work pretty well most of the time, except I refused to eat and it drove me crazy trying to get to sleep. The pain increases tenfold when you're in bed, I swear ... x.x
I just bore with the pain by distracting myself. Didn't take nurofen or painkillers or anything. It seemed to work pretty well most of the time, except I refused to eat and it drove me crazy trying to get to sleep. The pain increases tenfold when you're in bed, I swear ... x.x
Wed Jul 20, 2005 2:27 pm
Just take some asprin, it helps belive me. Also, stay away from any meat (cold cuts are fine) and sanwiches because they are hard to bit into. Soup, Jello, Pudding, Mashed Potatoes, Pancakes. They are all good to eat. Within a week the pain will be gone, and when they tightenj the braces each week, people say it hurts, but it really doesn't. Like I said though, stay away from the hamburgers and stuff for a while, about a week and a half after I got my braces on, I went to subway and ended up having to eat it with a fork and knife because it hurt too much to bight into. It was embarrassing