OH MY GOODNESS! spacers HURT!

[mandaluv]

ok, i wrote a few days ago (only 2-3 days after getting my spacers) and bragged about how they weren't that bad. but then day 4 kicked in and it wasn't until then that eating really started to hurt and it still does. well, i have had them in for a week now and i get them taken out tomorrow to get my braces! (thank God)

anyway, i have heard horror stories about how much braces hurt. i am getting worried. can someone tell me what their experience was going from spacers to braces and which hurt more? i'm praying that this is the worst part and the braces will feel good. haha. not likely though.

[NuckingFuts]

Spacers were so bad for me that when it was time for the braces it was a relief. During the first couple of days your teeth will feel uncomfortable due to the pressure but after that you will barely even notice them. Good luck!

[newbie82]

Well I honestly have to say that I was into this site BEFORE I even got spacers put in and was well prepared for the SHOCKING pain that spacers cause. Well I got spacers in and for the week that I had them all i had was very mild tenderness no pain at all. I am still surprised to read about how painful it is for most people. And as for getting the braces on, apart from not being able to bite into anything for at least a month I wouldn't say they've really been that painful. So many people aslo told me that the first sdjustment is reallly painful, but once again so far they've been really good. But i won't brag about that too much as my third adjustment is just two days away and that could change.

Anyway good luck with your treatment, I am sure you'll be fine.

[alexa]

Personally, I think braces are better than spacers. I mean, yes, braces are going to hurt..at first. As soon as your mouth toughens up though, braces won't be a big deal and you'll probably forget you even have them in your mouth. Even the first little bit of braces pain can be helped out with dental wax, so it won't be as bad.

Spacers, however, hurt always. I can tell you all about it, considering I currently have them in my mouth for the FOURTH time since I started treatment!

Good luck!

[candygrrrl]

Braces are nothing compared to spacers. And spacers are nothing compared to an expander!

So if you're outta those spacers by tomorrow and you don't have to have an expander, it should be smooth sailing for you.

Best of luck!

[CLAmom]

The spacers really did a number on me because instantly my bite was goofed up. Sometimes my teeth would really ache, too, from the movement. I'm hesitant to really call it real pain, though. Braces were surprisingly easy to tolerate at first but they are painful off and on now. I guess it depends on whether teeth are moving or if the metal is scratching my tongue. If I get a canker sore, that's the worst. I think it's a toss up for me as to which was the most uncomfortable.

[jamie26]

I agree spacers hurt!!! I had my spacers put in yesterday and my braces get put on tomarrow. Im nervous! The spacers started hurting me about 30 minutes after putting them in. I stopped to get some chicken SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM and french fries to eat, i thought, "i can eat that." To my surprise i was wrong! I bit into the french fry and said "OUCH" It hurt that soon. I came home and ate chicken noodle soup. Today the pain actually eased up a little. But i'm scared to see if the braces are going to hurt more or less!

[lesdents]

Yeah, the spacer pain was the worst so far for me. I thought I was fine until I tried to chew something - ouch.

You know what actually helped - I would chew on stuff, like get beef jerky and just lightly chew - like a teething baby!

[jeniwan]

I hear ya! I've had brackets for about two weeks now, but only had spacers put in two days ago (the back brackets kept popping off, so my ortho places spacers to put bands on instead). They kill!!! Tylenol helps a little, but doesn't do much to help biting down feel any better.

[Marzipan]

Same thing happened with me, mandaluv. For the first few days, the spacers seemed fine. The last couple - I wanted to rip the things from my mouth! But I held out and I'm glad I did.

[joygoss]

Spacers are the worst! I had them for three weeks. I lost 10 pounds, though. It was definately a relief to get the braces after going through that. Of course, there is pain with braces, too. I agree with an earlier post that said canker sores are the worst. Boy, are they ever. I hadn't had to use wax at all, but one day last week I got a canker sore right in front of my front teeth. Good grief did that kill. I tried not to talk (which is impossible with my job) and when I did it would burn so bad, my eyes would start streaming! So embarassing! So, I lost another 5 pounds last week because I didn't want to chew and make my lips move!

One good thing is that spacers and braces are great for the figure!!!

Keep your head up!

[joygoss]

Oh, P.S. -- what was even more ebarrassing was when people would catch me holding my front lip out!!

[jennandtonic]

For the most part, spacers weren't that bad. One time I did have to bite into a BLT sandwich and realized that was not going to be an option, I was too tender! But I learned how to chew. Braces were bad the first couple of days because I couldn't seem to chew AT ALL, but it got better and I can chew okay.

As for the first adjustment being painful...nah, mine wasn't bad. I had some pressure afterward kind of like the first week in braces, but I wasn't pain-ridden. The second adjustment...ouch! The actual adjustment process was painful and afterward was painful! I'm not sure why, but it was! However, that's when I saw the most progress. so it's all for the best.

But yeah, I'd been expecting all kinds of pain from the spacers but really didn't have all that much. The most annoying thing was getting used to them in my mouth, but you'll have to do that with braces, too.