Sleeping on your side...

[OHbraces]

Does anyone have any tips or tricks, other than lots of wax, to prevent elastic hooks and brackets from gouging your cheeks while sleeping on your side? Lower hooks especially causing issues when laying on a pillow...

[Heartofdarkness]

I read here a while ago (I think) that if you're really hydrated your cheeks will not get as stuck in the braces. Sounds logical!

[assertives]

I don't have any tips, but I personally started out with covering all my back brackets and some of the ones with hooks with the wax every night before going to bed. It was a part of my bedtime routine and I would stock up on wax (buying them online and each time I see my ortho). As my cheeks started to get used to having the brackets, I slowly start "weaning" off needing them for bedtime.

Now I don't need them anymore, but would from time to time still wake up with indentations all over my cheeks, but they no longer cut my cheeks up.

[AndAndAnd]

I personally started out with covering all my back brackets and some of the ones with hooks with the wax every night before going to bed.

I’ve got linguals so this hasn’t been an issue, but a couple of months ago I had a small brace placed on the outside of a molar and wisdom tooth. The intention here is to raise an impacted wisdom tooth out of the gum. That said, this part of the brace rests against my cheek 24/7 and is always cut up. I permanently wear wax on it now. If I persisted, would my cheek eventually get used to the brace here?

[assertives]

Mine did. But I only wear them on at night and during the day, I usually don't wear them unless my cheeks are cut and then I would wear them until my cheek heals from each cut. I would also remove them when I eat as well.

I don't wear them 24/7 because I wanted to let my cheeks toughen. Now my cheeks hardly ever get cut anymore.

[djspeece]

You might want to experiment with putting your head on your arm (e.g., if lying on right side, bend your right arm so that your forehead is resting on your right forearm) which might reduce the pressure and at least allow you to fall asleep.
Or take a couple of shots before bedtime and you really won't care.

[OHbraces]

I like the shots idea but with my luck i would end up with a sore mouth and a hangover😖

[kplatt2010]

Hey There- when my brackets were bothering me; I'd try to sleep with only the upper half of my face on the pillow. Sometimes I would double the pillow. Interestingly; my cheeks don't bother me anymore. Not sure if after 2 1/2 years they've just toughened up enough or the teeth are tipped inward and don't rub my cheek.

[Speck]

Reckon I'll find out about it tonight. I like Dan's idea. I'm gonna try cheesecake.

[Speck]

Woke up a couple times dreaming about mild discomfort; sure enough, cheek against the pillow.

[braceace]

I'm missing a molar on my right side, so the wire there floats from the premolar to the back molar, and I always sleep on my right side. Now I have a permanent fine straight line embedded in my cheek

[Mpkh]

I think I just got used to it. I’ve always slept on my side...so I think my mouth just got used to the braces pressed against my cheek while I sleep.

[OHbraces]

Has anyone tried a light weight universal sports mouth guard while sleeping. If not molded I wouldn't think it would restrict tooth movement but would cushion between brackets and cheeks...

[Speck]

I'm missing a molar on my right side, so the wire there floats from the premolar to the back molar, and I always sleep on my right side. Now I have a permanent fine straight line embedded in my cheek

Haha!

Honestly, I haven't noticed discomfort of any significance thus far. But the uppers aren't on, yet.

[MizAndie]

Thank you all for your advice for this poster. I was wondering about that as I sleep on my side and stomach! My braces will be going on next month so I was nervous about that.