Posted: Fri May 11, 2007 5:26 am
Taylor, I'm glad your first day in braces went well. I'm sure with your family background, your time in braces will be a positive one.
I'm sorry to hijack your thread Taylor, but I feel that I really must comment on this painkillers subject. It's one that's come up before on these forums.
I agree with Meryaten here that it is not helpful to imply to people that if they feel they need and choose to take a painkiller for braces related pain then they must have a low pain threshold. Modern orthodontics isn't always pain-free. It depends on how extensive the work is, your mental state at the time of treatment, as well as your own individual tolerance to pain and a whole host of other factors.
The anticipation of pain can be as stressful on the body as the pain itself, and if taking OTC pain relief before or following an adjustment reassures the person and leads them to expect less discomfort, then I think it's a positive thing to do. It's also a known fact that taking the painkillers before the pain breaks through makes them work more effectively than leaving it till the pain gets really bad.
Most people can take a few OTC painkillers without any risk. NSAIDS such as ibuprofen are contra-indicated in people with asthma or stomach problems, but they are safe for most of us if taken as directed. They are pretty effective for tooth pain too. If you take them with food you are less likely to get stomach ache. Paracetamol (acetinomephen sp?) is gentler on the stomach but is generally not so effective for dental pain.
I personally have a high pain threshold. Only yesterday I allowed my orthodontist to tighten one of the screws in my jawbone without anaesthetic. Yes it hurt, but it was no worse than living with severe endometriosis which I did for about 20 years until it was diagnosed in my late 30s. I got so used to being in constant pain that I hardly noticed it anymore, until after surgery when I wasn't in pain anymore and realised what I'd been living with year in year out.
But if I'm in discomfort following an adjustment, like I am today after getting a thicker wire and the springs on my molars tightened up, then I take painkillers for a day or so afterwards. It means that I can go about my normal business without the discomfort in my teeth constantly taking precedence in my mind. I see no point in being a martyr and suffering needlessly.
I'm sorry to hijack your thread Taylor, but I feel that I really must comment on this painkillers subject. It's one that's come up before on these forums.
I agree with Meryaten here that it is not helpful to imply to people that if they feel they need and choose to take a painkiller for braces related pain then they must have a low pain threshold. Modern orthodontics isn't always pain-free. It depends on how extensive the work is, your mental state at the time of treatment, as well as your own individual tolerance to pain and a whole host of other factors.
The anticipation of pain can be as stressful on the body as the pain itself, and if taking OTC pain relief before or following an adjustment reassures the person and leads them to expect less discomfort, then I think it's a positive thing to do. It's also a known fact that taking the painkillers before the pain breaks through makes them work more effectively than leaving it till the pain gets really bad.
Most people can take a few OTC painkillers without any risk. NSAIDS such as ibuprofen are contra-indicated in people with asthma or stomach problems, but they are safe for most of us if taken as directed. They are pretty effective for tooth pain too. If you take them with food you are less likely to get stomach ache. Paracetamol (acetinomephen sp?) is gentler on the stomach but is generally not so effective for dental pain.
I personally have a high pain threshold. Only yesterday I allowed my orthodontist to tighten one of the screws in my jawbone without anaesthetic. Yes it hurt, but it was no worse than living with severe endometriosis which I did for about 20 years until it was diagnosed in my late 30s. I got so used to being in constant pain that I hardly noticed it anymore, until after surgery when I wasn't in pain anymore and realised what I'd been living with year in year out.
But if I'm in discomfort following an adjustment, like I am today after getting a thicker wire and the springs on my molars tightened up, then I take painkillers for a day or so afterwards. It means that I can go about my normal business without the discomfort in my teeth constantly taking precedence in my mind. I see no point in being a martyr and suffering needlessly.