Well, we all know that people who wear braces have to go through a hard time. It’s not an easy change, but for the sake of your teeth, you have to wear them.
When you meet a person who wears braces, the first question you’ll most probably ask is, “Are braces painful?” It is an everyday struggle that people who wear braces have to go through. The surprising fact is that braces do not hurt.
For the initial days, you will feel a little bit of pain, discomfort, voice changes, excessive salivation and difficulty in eating. This happens because your teeth and lips take some time to adapt to a foreign accessory introduced into the mouth. But this phase passes away in a few days, and you get accustomed to wearing braces.
After all, it varies from person to person. Some people are always thinking about it, and overthinking makes them feel anxious and uncomfortable. Others keep themselves busy with their work, and this distraction helps them in avoiding the feeling of discomfort.
After the dentist places the braces, glue is applied to them; this glue doesn’t taste so good, that is why many people feel a weird taste in their mouth for the first few days.
This is something every patient has in their mind before their orthodontic treatment.
As we have discussed before, the answer to this question varies from patient to patient. Once you start feeling that your teeth are straightening, then it’s not a big deal.
If at any point in time you feel some soreness on your lips due to irritation, you can apply some orthodontic wax; it’ll prevent further pain.
If you are required to change the bands for any reason, then this could be the only point in time after the initial days where you may feel discomfort, so try to avoid any such situation.
In each of your later appointments, the dentist should make a few adjustments to the braces to ensure proper alignment and movement of your teeth.
The typical pain feels like soreness or irritation; some people even feel a little bit of force on their teeth, which might frustrate them, but all this is part of the entire process. Apart from the brace pain, many patients get annoyed by the weird taste of the glue.
As your teeth start aligning back, you start seeing the difference, and that makes you confident. Finally, after all this pain, you’re going to have better-looking teeth.
These small visible changes take away your mind from the thought of braces being painful.
Using quality braces, which are made of premium material, also helps in getting rid of that annoying pain. So, make sure that your dentist uses proper braces and bands, which perfectly fit your teeth and gums without causing any discomfort.
We can’t deny the fact that braces do cause a little bit of pain and soreness, but is there any way to minimise its effect and get used to it?
Well, some ways can help you in minimising the pain and discomfort, but that’s only going to happen when you are willing to take some steps.
To help you out, we have a few ways or methods which you can try out and see if any of these methods help you in getting or at least reducing the discomfort.
Although many patients do receive an orthodontic wax with their other medicines, in case you haven’t, you can purchase it over the counter.
So, if you have any rashes or irritation due to your braces, you can apply this wax on the area; its smooth texture will prevent any harshness on your lips.
If you have a broken bracket or any piece of wire pushing into your cheek, you should immediately get it fixed by your orthodontist to avoid injury to the surrounding soft tissues.
If you can clip the extended wire piece by yourself using a clipper, then you can do it yourself or with someone’s assistance. But it is preferred to have patience and let your doctor fix it.
Remember your parents telling you to rinse your mouth with warm salt water when you have a sore throat or any oral problem. That’s because warm salt water helps in reducing the swelling and rashes.
So, if you are having a swollen throat or bleeding gums due to braces, try to rinse your mouth with warm salt water 5 to 10 times in the morning and also at night before sleeping.
Well, if you are not able to bear the pain or for any other reason you can not hold on to the pain, then you can try over-the-counter analgesics and NSAIDs, which are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. But the pain subsides only for a short duration on medication and may reappear as soon as the effect of the painkiller fades away.
You can follow the above three remedies to deal with pain in the long term.
Now with braces, another problem is that you can’t eat or consume anything too hard or too hot because it will interfere with the alignment process.
So, for the initial days, try to eat only semi-solid food items or, more preferably, a liquid diet. After that, you can revert to regular eating habits, but hard food items should be avoided anyway.
If you’re about to get your first-ever braces, it is advisable to consider the dos and don’ts. If not followed, you might have to face unwanted discomfort and pain, and it can also disturb the alignment.
As far as the thought of “are braces painful”, there is no denying it does, but only for some initial days. After a few days or weeks, your mouth will get used to the new position.
Do not worry too much; you’re not going to have these braces for the rest of your life; it’s only for some time, and after the process, you’ll have a brand new smile that will boost your personality. For any further queries, reach out to Conway House, High Wycombe by calling our reception at 01494 526 578.
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