is this true?

[xanidu2012]

I have read posts about how some brace wearers have callouses in their mouths because of rubbing brackets and hooks but has anyone ever heard that braces can cause cold sores/fever blisters. I was in the grocery store and the cashier noticed I have braces. She does too. She asked did I have any problems with cold sores. I replied "no" and asked did she and she replied that some times when she gets an adjustment occasionally she will get a cold sore/fever blister. If I'm not being too nosey may I ask has this ever happened to any one or does any one know whether this is true that the stress/pain of braces can cause this? My ortho is closed on Fridays so I can't call to ask. Is there a dentist/ortho here who can answer?

[Sita]

They would only get cold sores or fever blisters if they had already been exposed to that particular herpes virus early in life. The stress of an adjustment could cause them to pop up.

I get sores in the corner of my mouth because of my mouth being open so long at an appointment, not because of cold sores. That is quite common and could possibly be mistaken for cold sores, if that helps any.

[margarets]

The cashier may have mistaken a mouth ulcer/canker with cold sore.

[xanidu2012]

Thanks sista and margarets. That put my mind at ease. After going through all of this and with a long ways to go that's the last thing I need. The dents in my cheeks from these hooks is bothersome enough

[TMJJill]

I believe cold sores are different than mouth sores. Sores caused by a virus are different than sores caused by friction from braces.

Ironically, I just posted a strategy for sores that I got from a pharmacist today. You might check it out.

Warm salt water is usually a good suggestion as well.

[xanidu2012]

Thanks tmjjill. I saw my grocer cashier again and she corrected herself and said she meant to say canker not cold sore. Whew!
Gonna keep that OTC remedy handy just in case

[SandySam]

Sorry I hope this isn't a thread hijack.. but is this something that can happen with invisalign retainers too? I know there's no brackets rubbing against your mouth, but what about the edges catching?

[clockworkrabbit]

Wherever the rough parts of the braces or wire scrape against skin will eventually get a little tougher. They don't callous like your fingers and toes though! The hooks and such can sometimes cause little scrapes or outright jabs if there's a little too much wire sticking out, but your ortho should know to clip the ends super short - and you use wax on the sharp parts so your mouth has time to toughen up. There should be no bleeding cuts - if there are, you probably have something broken and jabby, or you need the wire ends snipped.

As for sores, any scratch or scrape in the lips or mouth can turn into canker or fever blisters. By the time we turn 12, 80% of us carry the mostly harmless virus that can sometimes turn into sores when we're stressed or the skin is broken. If you carry the virus and your immune system crashes, the scraped spots can turn into a sore. This is probably what they were referring to. Keeping your mouth clean will prevent any pokes from getting infected; alcohol free mouthwash is a godsend for the sore mouth!

If you've never had a mouth or lip sore before, you might be one of the 20% who has never been exposed to the virus, or you could be one of the many who simply don't get sores from it despite having it in your body. Either way, it's not a huge deal - just something that is common. :)