Metal Mouth Message Board

People keep telling me that all the pain and suffering will go away once my mouth gets used to the braces, but I'm just curious to find out how long did it take your mouth to "toughen up"? I've had my brackets on for 4 weeks and the wires put on 3 weeks ago, right now I have multiple canker sores, and my lower lip is cut really deeply by the wire because of the big gaps from my extractions. Also, my tongue is raw from scraping against the metal molar bands. I put wax on all my brackets and on the wire. Oh, I bought the Comfort Covers from Lynn thinking that it should help with the wire issue, but unfortunately it didn't fit over my larger ceramic brackets.
Sorry for the long post...just needed to vent!!

Hmmmm.....sounds like you are having a bad time of it. I am sorry to hear that. I can say that for me it took only a few days to stop using the wax, but everyone is different. The thing that I notice most is that I have to keep my mouth and lips moist or that is when i get rubs, etc. I think many of the regular posters here recommend keeping yourself very well hydrated and I am trying to be better at that. I also either use straight vasoline or gloss on my lips consantly to keep them moist. Do you have things that are poking your mouth even when you relax your jaw and are just at rest? If so maybe they need to do some trimming or readjustment with the wires.

Bip,
My ortho had already bent all the hooks so it wouldn't scrap the insides of my mouth. In addition I put wax on almost everything that could come into contact with the insides of my mouth, but some how those sneaky sores always manage to pop up! I do rinse my mouth throughout the day, but I've been using Colgate Peroxyl antiseptic rinse as oppose to salt water because one of the techs suggested it to me. I will definitely drink more water to stay hydrated. Thanks for all the great advice!!

I'm glad it was mentioned keeping that wax in while you eat cause i have and i've been feeling like i have something stuck in my throat and i've been wondering if maybe it was a piece of wax
If it is maybe it will melt ha ha

So far, I've been really lucky. I have the hooks on the inside (towards my tongue) of my molar bands and after the first couple of days I got used to that (without any major pain or cuts). And I've only had to use wax for a couple of days after getting the metal tie wires and stronger archwire at my last adjustment... so I don't have any advice--but I have heard from others that the ceramic brackets cause more irritation/pain then the metal ones (which I have).

Two weeks to adjust to linguals on my uppers and about the same time to adjust to ceramics on my bottom teeth. I waxed brackets and swigged salt water liberally during this period and still do from time to time as the need arises. When I feel a canker sore coming on (not often, thankfully) I hit the wax and salt water rinses. I'm not sure if swimming 3-4 times a week also helps.

I had my braces 'installed' just yesterday.

Besides the great suggestions you've already received, I've also found the following helpful:

Sucking on (not biting!) a cough drop...it keeps my mouth wet and reduces friction considerably.

'Kanka' Soft-brush gel...it's wonderful. It's a 20% benzocaine wand with a very soft bristle brush on the end. It only tastes bad for half a second and, provided I don't eat or drink, actually reduces the pain significantly for an hour and a half to two hours or so.

Advil and aspirin...keep em handy for when it gets the best of you.

And then...hang in there.

Just think of all those little kids who've been there...

Good luck.