How long did your braces hurt?

[andybean]

Hello everyone!

I'm just wondering - how long did your braces hurt, after the initial application? Was the pain worse or less upon each tightening?

Perhaps someone could offer some insight into my situation based on personal experience. My braces were put on Thursday (January 27th, making today day 5/6), and I'm still unable to eat anything of any kind of solid consistency. The pain is excruciating even to touch my tongue to my teeth. I have been taking Advil and Tylenol every 4 hours since I'd had them put on. I'm finding that the pain is more specifically to four teeth (my two front teeth, more so the right one, as well as my incisor and canine on the left side).

Hopefully someone can offer something that's a little reassuring to my particular situation. I would greatly appreciate anything at this time! Thanks so much.

[justjenn]

The length of time depends on the person but the pain should be easing up soon. I didn't feel pain over 5-10 days. Also, the first few adjustments will hurt about the same but after about the 3rd one, the pain is gone. Also, try taking Alieve in stead of Advil or Tylenol.

[lightskinnnn38]

My pain went away 2 days after getting my braces. I just got new wires today and I feel a lot of pressure but I'm not in a lot of pain. But I'll let you know how I feel tomorrow! lol I guess tolerance is different for everyone.

[ports]

Are you taking advil AND tylenol every 4 hours? Or just advil OR tylenol. Stick to advil, at the correct dosage/time for your age. You don't need the tylenol, in my opinion.

I got mine on the 21st. I was angry and grumpy that Friday and Saturday. Sunday was better, and on Monday I didn't need the ibuprofen/advil anymore. So only 3 days for me of real pain. And for another day or so it was painful to bite down. After that, I've been totally fine.

A lot of this has to do with your pain threshold. If something hurts, instinct tells you not to do it anymore. But pain is a good sign. Your body sends extra blood, and chemicals to heal/relieve pain to the areas that are in pain. [the body can't target a certain area for pain relief, so all of your blood has an equal amount of the chemicals in it, and it increases the blood flow to the pained areas to get more chemicals there]
So, try to force yourself to talk, eat, and use your mouth regularly. It will help.

An hour after getting my braces, I was at home eating ziti, and for dinner that night I had beans, rice, and cheese enchiladas. Soft, but still firm enough to use my teeth.

You'll be fine in a few more days. And think about how nice your smile will be when this is all over.

[josie]

It took me about a week to 10 days before I felt "normal" again and that first week I was really depressed. I questioned what I had done, whether I would be able to concentrate with these things in my mouth ever, whether food would ever taste the same for 18 months (treatment time) and whether it was worth all that. I felt like I couldn't escape them because they were glued to my teeth and there was no way of switching it off. I tried to eat cheese and toast and cried whilst chewing - partly from the pain but partly from the despair!

Anyway, the good news is all that was over after about 7-10 days and things got back to normal pretty quickly. I now feel like they are almost part of me and I'm not really bothered by them except for a few days after each adjustment. My advice is not to "baby" yourself by only eating soft foods, but to challenge yourself to start chewing more. There are some theories around on this board saying that chewing helps the pain - once you get past the initial agony of course.

When they are adjusted, they hurt some for about 3-4 days afterwards - but NEVER as bad as that first time.

The teeth which are hurting the most are experiencing the most pressure usually - look to them to move first.

[Denise]

It took me about two weeks to be back to something resembling normal. My teeth hurt so bad in the beginning that I couldn't even bite through a black olive. However, everyone has different recovery times. Just remember, the pain you feel is normal and it will go away. You'll be back to eating most normal foods in no time! In the beginning I was also pretty skeptical that it was all going to be worth it, but it totally is!

[way2beautiful28]

I really didn't feel any pain at all after the day I got my braces put on. I got mine put on Jan the 27th also..AS soon as I got home from my appointment I took 2 Ibuprofen. That may have something to do with the reason I didn't feel any pain. I'm still getting use to having braces.

[lasvegasann]

Everyone is different. Just hang in there and the pain will go away soon!

[moonie]

Hang in there! I was uncomfortable for about 7 days. I wasn't in any real pain though, just wasn't comfy.

[Rigby]

Haha, I just registered to ask pretty much the same question! I'm on day four of having braces now and although the pain has reduced it's still too much for me to consider eating anything that's not yoghurt or soup. Very much relieved to hear that it probably won't be as bad after each tightening because I don't think I could handle that!

[andybean]

Haha, I just registered to ask pretty much the same question! I'm on day four of having braces now and although the pain has reduced it's still too much for me to consider eating anything that's not yoghurt or soup. Very much relieved to hear that it probably won't be as bad after each tightening because I don't think I could handle that!

Rigby,

I think I should include my own experience in here now (to answer my own question). It was about 8 days after my braces were put on that I could tolerate chewing something soft, such as pasta (but I cut it up small enough so it could be swallowed - in case it actually did hurt). On day 10, I tried soft french fries...which were not so bad. I'm on day 12 now, and I feel things getting much better.

Consistently take ibuprofen, to help with the pain. I started to drink meal replacements in the morning (such as boost + calories) to keep my energy up throughout the day, and would eat things such as smoothies / milkshakes / yogurt / pudding, etc at night time. For your first "chewy" food, I would recommend canned peaches (not fresh). Cut them up very tiny, and even get them out with a fork if you have to. Eating these, you do not have to close your teeth down ENTIRELY to chew them.

Good luck, and happy braces!

[Sunny]

Good luck to you both!

Chewing ... although it may hurt a bit, is one of the best things you can do to help get over this initial discomfort. Chewing on something cold, like a wet cloth, is even better. Rinsing with warm salt water is soothing and this should be done 5+ times a day to help your comfort levels.

Personally I didn't have any pain when I first got braces and rarely during my treatment. I remember feeling an ache for a few hours following the adjustment I got powerchains and the adjustment I got elastics. I also had a few hours of discomfort when my ortho put new bends in the archwires ... but with salt water rinses and chewing, I didn't need any pain meds.

A good thing to focus on is that this will pass! I guess that doesn't feel so real when your mouth is sore ... but it will happen!

[ajacquelyn]

I have also just registered to ask this question! Im on day 3.. and still taking nurofen every 4 hours and milkshakes, yoghurt and soup is all i can eat!
Right now its so depressing, i cant even imagine having these on for 15 months.
its good to come on here and see that it gets better

[andybean]

I have also just registered to ask this question! Im on day 3.. and still taking nurofen every 4 hours and milkshakes, yoghurt and soup is all i can eat!
Right now its so depressing, i cant even imagine having these on for 15 months.
its good to come on here and see that it gets better

Welcome to the forum!

Keep taking ibuprofen every 4 hours - things will get better. For me, it felt like it was never going to end. I wanted to go back to the orthodontist and tell him it wasn't worth it, and just to take them right back off. I could live with crooked teeth, couldn't I? After all, I've gone 22 years with them..it can't have been that big of a deal.

For the first 10 days, I didn't eat anything but smoothies, milkshakes, yogurt and soup either. I do recommend trying some really soft (and overcooked) pasta. Maybe something like Zoodles or Alphaghetti. I know that's actually kind of gross - but if all else fails, you don't have to chew it. Just swallow! Pudding, Jell-O, Oatmeal are also very easy on the teeth...and around day 7, I started eating canned peaches sliced up really thinly. Again, they're soft enough to chew - but if you feel like you can't, you can just swallow it. A last lifesaver were meal replacements. I would drink one a day to make sure I was getting the proper nutrients that I needed.

The outcome will be worth it in the end, and remember - there are so many people going through the same thing here with you!

[ports]

Yep, I bought a case of slimfast during my first week. It helped bolster my diet. But I did lose 7 lbs in my first month with braces.

[andybean]

Yep! Boost was my best friend, and I stocked up on some more and Ensure for my adjustment this week.

[rhiannon97]

I got my braces tightened yesterday and they are really hurting and giving me headaches i have had panadol and
been crying myself to sleep because of the pain what can i do?

[minhnguyen0691]

I have my top brace put on yesterday and I really don't have any pain(I didn't take any pain killer since then), maybe because my dentist start everything very slowly or maybe I'm lucky just had a light headache yesterday so I went to sleep earlier

[NarcoAngel]

Mine took 8 days before I started eating anything besides baby food after the first wire was put in.

[gosling_up_on_rainbow]

I can relate. I think it must have been 2-3 weeks of pain for me when I first got them on. That was the worst pain I ever felt with them. Then it goes away and your teeth just feel kind of loose. Everytime you have a new wire put in you will feel pain for a couple of days, but not as bad as when you first got braces. So basically you are through the worst part!

[lightskinnnn38]

I guess I was the lucky one. I only had pain for 1 day and it was just a slight headache.