ulcers!

[josie]

Hi -

My teeth themselves are not hurting much at all now and I feel as if I've, on the whole, adjusted quite well to wearing braces (1 week tomorrow). It is no longer as painful to eat and I'm even managing chips and bread. (Although they are left aching afterwards then!).

However... the ulcers on my cheeks are a different thing entirely! I feel as if I have cheese-wire cutting into my cheeks!

The ortho did give me some wax to put on, and I have some questions about how to use that and also if you guys can suggest the best way to speed up the healing process for ulcers and get my cheeks toughened up... Here are my Qs...

1. Wax: I have been drying my brackets and blobbing the wax on. However, if I eat with it on, it comes off. If I brush my teeth, it comes off etc. So I have to keep on reapplying it. Am I doing something wrong? Should it really stay there all day? Sometimes it breaks up into small pieces as I put it on, and I have to chuck that bit out - I feel as if there is a whole 'wax technique' I am missing out on... any tips?

2. Besides the wax, how can I speed up my ulcers healing and mouth toughening? Is there a particular mouth ulcer treatment or med which you would recommend?

3. Is Ibuprofen any good for mouth ulcer pain, or is it only effective for tooth pain? (Which I don't really have.)

4. The main problem is the brackets on my back teeth. I know nothing can be done by my ortho about those, but I can also feel the arch wire where it comes out the very end of my brackets, after having gone all the way round: It jabs out the end slightly and into my gums/cheek - esp on my bottom teeth, where my wisdom teeth also have brackets on. (My top wisdom teeth don't have brackets.) I'm wondering if the arch wire couldn't have been cut shorter? It only sticks out v slightly, but in your mouth a little bit causes a lot of pain! Has anyone else experience of that?

Thanks!

[justjenn]

1. I also don't know how to use wax properly so I can't help there.
2. Get you some orabase and put it on them. It has a weird taste, so try to to let it touch your tongue. It will numb the area. When I've used it, my ulcers clear up in a day or two.
3. My dentist and ortho have both told me to take 2 Alieve (Naproxsen) every 12 hours for any mouth pain. They say it works better than advil and it helps me.
4. Contact the ortho's office and ask them if maybe they could curve the end of the wires around a little bit so they don't poke. If mine aren't curved, they hurt like crazy.

Hope these help.

[Sunny]

1. Wax: I have been drying my brackets and blobbing the wax on. However, if I eat with it on, it comes off. If I brush my teeth, it comes off etc. So I have to keep on reapplying it. Am I doing something wrong? Should it really stay there all day? Sometimes it breaks up into small pieces as I put it on, and I have to chuck that bit out - I feel as if there is a whole 'wax technique' I am missing out on... any tips?

Wax is easy to use, but it can take a little practise. The most important thing is to make sure you have plenty to put on. I usually roll it into a ball, but that's not necessary, it's just what I like. Then I put it on the centre of the bracket and push it gently down, so it starts to mould over and around the bracket. If I feel like it might fall off, I get more and push it over the top of the first lot. If you put plenty on, it shouldn't come off while you're eating. If it does, put some fresh wax on, as eating is often when the most damage is done. Also by using plenty and warming it with your fingers, like I do when I gently roll it into a ball, it won't break up. The most important thing is to be generous with the amount you use. Ortho's will usually give it away free, or if you need to buy it, it's inexpensive at pharmacy's, supermarkets etc.

You need to remove the wax to brush your teeth and it should come off easily in a 'lump' that looks like a mould of your bracket. Then after brushing and rinsing, put more wax on ... and hopefully before long you won't need it any more. We recommend wearing wax for 24 hours after you think you need it. That way hopefully your mouth is truly healed.

2. Besides the wax, how can I speed up my ulcers healing and mouth toughening? Is there a particular mouth ulcer treatment or med which you would recommend?

Rinse 5+ times a day with warm salt water. If you're working, taking some wark salt water in a drink bottle and rinse as often as you can. The salt water is soothing and healing.

Covering the sores with a cream/gel that has both healing and numbing qualities also helps you feel better.

Keeping well hydrated also helps your mouth not to rub on the brackets.

3. Is Ibuprofen any good for mouth ulcer pain, or is it only effective for tooth pain? (Which I don't really have.)

I think any over the counter pain med would help. This is not mouth pain, like the type that some people feel due to their teeth moving, but instead it's caused by things in your mouth coming into contact with open sores. Pain meds may help, but they're not really designed for this.

4. The main problem is the brackets on my back teeth. I know nothing can be done by my ortho about those, but I can also feel the arch wire where it comes out the very end of my brackets, after having gone all the way round: It jabs out the end slightly and into my gums/cheek - esp on my bottom teeth, where my wisdom teeth also have brackets on. (My top wisdom teeth don't have brackets.) I'm wondering if the arch wire couldn't have been cut shorter? It only sticks out v slightly, but in your mouth a little bit causes a lot of pain! Has anyone else experience of that?

Your ortho can definitely fix this and you need to give your office a call and ask to be seen so that the archwires can be clipped. This is part of the service you're paying for.

While your teeth are closing together it's common for the archwire to need clipping. My ortho put a bend in the end of my upper right arch wire, as I had a large gap closing and this allowed the archwire to keep moving back without jabbing me.

Good luck!

[josie]

Wow, that is so incredibly helpful both of you!

Especially the tip about warming the wax by rolling it, so it doesn't break up!!

Thanks so much!!!