Do Braces Hurt?

Many people are concerned about pain they may experience when they get braces fitted. The majority of people realise that their initial fears were unnecessary and that the ‘pain’ that people refer to when describing braces is more of a discomfort. It is important to remember that it may take a while to adjust to wearing braces. Patience and ensuring that you take the necessary measures to care for your braces is the only way to help make your experience simpler and more comfortable.

Pain from new braces

One of the things that people fear the most is how painful it is to get braces fitted. Most people will agree that there is nothing to worry about as it is relatively painless. However you feel a bit uncomfortable as you adjust to wearing braces, especially when it comes to eating food. By gradually reintroducing more solid food after you get your braces fitted you will minimise the discomfort you experience.

Pain from tightened braces

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Braces have to get tightened regularly to ensure that they are putting enough pressure on your teeth to help shape them. People may find newly tightened braces uncomfortable however the discomfort usually passes after a day or two after you get use to them again.

How to relieve pain caused by orthodontics

The web is full of advice of how to manage pain caused by braces. The advice that these sites give can seem weird. Thankfully, the majority of advice given on the internet on relieving orthodontic pain isn’t dangerous and doesn’t involve any serious risks.

Things like herbal remedies can be a good way to manage pain caused by braces without having to use painkillers such as Ibuprofen and Paracetamol, which should not be taken regularly.

Some common advice that is frequently suggested is:

• Taking painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen in sensible doses. Overdosing on painkillers can be seriously dangerous and relying on them to manage pain is not a sensible choice! Try less serious options before using painkillers to reduce the pain that braces cause.
• Have cold drinks and avoid sugary drinks. This seems obvious but having too much sugar can increase your risk of tooth decay. This can cause you to have further pains, which you certainly want to avoid if you are already complaining about pains caused by braces.
• Suck on Ice but don’t chew it – some people say that the coolness that this provides helps relieve dental pain
• Stick to soft foods – especially after getting your brace fitted or getting them tightened. You may find chewing hard foods difficult. There are certain hard foods that should be avoided altogether while you have braces. These include foods such as whole apple, hard sweets and toffees.
• Try a mouth sore gel – many people are not aware of mouth sore gels as an option to treat dental pains. These can be applied to your finger and then put on your teeth. The biggest advantage of mouth sore gels is that they allow you to easily target the area of pain and very often you can benefit from quick relief.
• Use dental wax – especially at first to help you adapt to the feeling of braces. These can taste weird but they are useful if you feel like your braces are poking out. Nowadays, it is possible to buy dental wax in a wide variety of flavours so that it will not taste as weird.