They should make dome braces

[Elski17]

I seriously don't know why they don't make braces with the bracket being a little half circle. I can't think of one good reason why they wouldn't do that. All I know is I got braces 2 days ago and they're completely tearing up my mouth. They hurt so badly. I put tons of wax on, but it doesn't stay to well with the little spring like thing I have over my gap and I can't eat without removing it, and removing it makes it hurt worse. Plus its a pain to put back on. Any ideas about ways to deal with this? What seems like it would work well would be to get one of those things people use to stop there teeth from grinding at night. Please help.

[Sunny]

Hi and welcome Elski!

Sorry your mouth is not coping, but there are ways to make this easier. First up, make sure you use plenty of wax and mould it around all offending brackets. Do leave it on when you eat, as this is the time your mouth really needs it. Eating 'wax' will not harm you.

It's important to look after your mouth if it's sore, and applying a topical gel that is both an antiseptic and healing gel is great if mouth sores develop. We ask our patients to rinse once daily with a solution of warm salt water - a pinch of salt (about a 1/4 teaspoon) in a small amount of tap warm water (about a 1/4 cup). If there mouth is sore, it's recommended they rinse as often as they can during the day ... at least 5 times, to help soothe and heal the inside of the mouth.

Good luck ... and make sure you keep the mouth care up for at least 48 hours after you think your mouth is feeling good, and hopefully you won't have any problems for long.

[Elski17]

Thanks for the advice. What brand of topical cream should I try?

[HeadJam]

They gave me some with the kit I bought, but I never used it. It's GUM Aloclair gel. I think the hardest thing to do is just wait for your lips to grow some more skin.

[Zoso]

Where are you located, Elise? In the UK, the common brand is Bonjela. In the USA there are several, such as Anbesol, Orabase, or Orajel. Some people really like Cankermelts, which are little discs that stick on top of the sore.

Saltwater's OK. An alternative to that though is to use hydrogen peroxide mixed with water - more than just soothing, it is a great debriding agent for oral wounds, so will do a really good job of removing the dead tissue, which really promotes healing. It's the active ingredient in Colgate's Peroxyl rinse, but it's far more economical to buy regular hydrogen peroxide and dilute with water or mouthwash, and you get the same benefits.

For comfort, you should minimise acidic foods and drinks whilst you have so many sores - acidic foods or drinks in the mouth will sting like heck just now!

The other, and perhaps the most important piece of advice I will give you is to drink lots of water. Properly hydrated, you will tend to suffer fewer new sores.