Canker sores from braces! HELP!!!

[kate66]

Hi everyone!

Ok so i got my Damon braces a week ago and so far i haven't had too much dental pain... My problem is that i have so many canker sores it's making my life miserable!!!! My mouth feels completely raw! It's the worst feeling... I've tried everything, salt and water, Peroxyl 3-4 times a day... It helps a little but not enough!!! It really hurts, it's hard for me to talk and eat because of the canker sores... And yes i do have the wax and i use it but it's not solving my problem...

I really hope that my mouth will eventually get used to the braces and go back to normal!!! If so, when will that happen!!!!!

I'm feeling really discouraged, some help would be greatly appreciated

Thank you!!!!

[Candymomof3]

Hi Kate, I don't have Damon braces, but our problems are the same. I am plagued the same way...and really only the 7-10 day course they have to run is what makes them go away...you can soothe them, with all the recommended routines...but really it's just time. I constantly get them, right now I have a set of 3 that have formed as one huge one on my cheek. I have been in agony all week, and hate whining about it, but they really do control your life...talking, smiling, eating....The one I have right now is my own fault...I chewed gum last week and the third time I bit my cheek from chewing, It dawned on me that chewing gum not such a great idea and I got rid of it!
I guess your mouth does get tougher and more used to them...I am 3 months into my ceramic uppers and metal lowers and it just varies if I get them or not...as soon as I feel it coming though, I cover the offending bracket up with wax...ESPECIALLY at night, as you have no control about what that bracket is doing to your tender little lips or cheeks..and that sometimes stops it from becoming a huge crater of a canker sore.
So, all said.....nothing really makes them go away, but doing all the above does help soothe, and each morning when you wake up, you are one day closer to them being gone. Nothing better than the feeling of a canker sore in the healing stages....you are like "PHEWWEEEE"
Good luck!

[kate66]

Thank you for your reply! It's nice to know that we don't suffer alone! LOL
English is my second language, i'm sorry if there's any mistakes...

But anyways, i guess i'll just suck it up and stop being such a cry baby! I'm 33 after all!!! I just thought that maybe there's a miracle cure out there or something... I've heard of aloe juice mouth rinse... I'll give that a try and tell you all about it!

Hang in there!!!

[Zoso]

Kate, there are a few things you can do to help.

First and foremost is to make sure that you are drinking plenty of water - staying hydrated is the very best thing that you can do to help your mouth cope better with the braces.

Secondly, stick with the wax, and keep it in place all the time - even when you are eating - until at least two or three days after your sores heal up (the newly healed tissue will be more delicate)

In the meantime, you can use a topical oral anesthetic (such as Anbesol or Orabase) to help with the discomfort, and try to cut back on acidic foods and drinks, as these will make the sores sting more.

Good luck - it gets better.

[Sunny]

Hi Kate, so sorry to read about your problems with mouth sores. I used to get them all the time ... prior to having braces, and therefore no what a pain they can be. Prior to getting braces my ortho recommended starting the salt water rinses ... several times a day ... and I've not had another mouth sore since then ... incredible ... but for me, it's been like some magickal change ... and I'm so happy.

Prior to the salt water working for me, I used a variety of topical oral gels and found the ones with that included both numbing and antiseptic ingredients to be the best. I also found a multi purpose vitamin, that I think was recommended for cold sores ... or something like that, that seemed to provide some help ... but that may have been a subconscious one ... I can't be sure.

Good luck with your mouth toughening soon and remember to continue using wax (especially when eating) for at least 24 hours after you think you need it ... just to make sure that your mouth is good!

Take care!

[kate66]

Thank you so much Zoso and Sunny! You guys are always so helpful...
I went to the drudstore last night and got that Anbesol... Works like magic!
So right now i'm doing a combination of salt/water rinse, Peroxyl twice a day and Anbesol. Lol! My mouth has never been so clean!!! Those three things together seems to me helping me out... I'm staying positive, i know that the beginning is the worst phase, the best has yet to come! Right? Right??? Hahaha!!!

[Zoso]

Great that it's helping.

If you want to save some cash, Peroxyl is just a fancy forumlation of hydrogen peroxide, so instead you could use a mixture of equal parts hydrogen peroxide and water. Tastes nasty, but does the same job at a fraction of the price.

[smilez4me]

Kate Im so glad to hear you found some relief. Dont forget the wax. I use it all the time and it is helping my mouth heal nicely too. I am approaching my first full week of these braces and I have to say I THINK my mouth is getting used to them somewhat.. or maybe Im getting used to the pain. Who knows. Everyone tells me I will get used to them but they said that too with my splint and i never got used to that thing.