Metal Mouth Message Board

Hi,
I got my braces on 11 days ago and ive been thought the initial sensitivity pain from new movement. I can take this pain and the bite blockers but whats really annoying me massively is the constant irritation from them. I havent had any mouth sores but im constantly producing saliva to try to 'flush 'the braces out and it makes my mouth feel kindoff dry because the constant saliva is non-slick. Its not too bad first thing in the morning because things have slicked up a bit but once the saliva starts flowing then things get super clean and squeaky and i can feel every bend and corner of the braces. Licking the braces doesnt really help much, they still scrape. We have a bread here in ireland called soda bread that leaves your mouth with a nasty dry feeling no matter how moist it is and its feels just like that constantly.
For me its by far the worst aspect of the braces and the only thing giving me doubts as to whether i made the right decision going forward with them.
Like when you have a cold or flu and your throats very sore but you cant stop producing saliva and swollowing and making things worse. I think thats enought examples there.

Does anyone know where im coming from here and is it just standard for the course and will it improve in a manner that doesnt involve the words "getting more used to it"?

Hi Shrike

It does take a while for your mouth to adjust to all the hardware. Your brain is fooled into thinking there is food in your mouth and produces more saliva to deal with it. The constant swallowing can get annoying coupled with the constant friction of the braces rubbing the inside of your mouth.

Your best friends here are wax and water. Put the wax on the rough bits so that they don't chafe your cheeks. Drink LOTS of water throughout the day. The slightest amount of dehydration will increase the irritation 100 fold. Some people also find that rinsing the mouth once or twice a day with a pinch of salt in a little warm water helps with soothing any sore spots that have developed, and may help toughen the mouth so that sore spots don't develop in the first place.

I know you don't want to hear the words "you will get used to it" but that is what happens eventually. By that I don't mean "put up with it", I mean that your mouth does adjust over time and gets tougher, and the excess salivation will diminish. In the meantime the things I've mentioned above should help.

Hang in there!

No matter how much water I drink, my mouth still feels dry. So I know how you feel.

I recommend using silicon wax on your brackets. It may help the inside of your mouth stop being so irritated.

I used the Mack's ear plugs. They're easy to find in any drug store (in the US anyway) and are fairly cheep.

Getting it to stick can be a bit of a hassle, but once it does...it stays!

Hang in there, it does get better...for everyone!

Shrike I hear you! I have had my braces on two days now and I am constantly dehydrated. My lips are dry and cracked, yet I'm drinking about 3 litres of water a day (and i dont drink caffiene products). For me the wax helps with the edges (except when it comes off and makes me gag!). I'm grateful for anyone who has tips about decreasing the deyhrated feelings.. i feel like a sultana!!

I've had my braces for one week now and my boyfriend is getting worried with the amount of liquids that I'm drinking since I don't usually dirnk that much to begin with. I was even having hypochondrical (is that a word) tendencies thinking that being terribly thirsty is a symptom of diabetes. Thank you everyone who posted about this. I'm gonna go drink me some H2O now.

Chew gum! That gets the saliva flowing so things feel "normal" for a while. I am new to braces, too, so I can only stand to chew for five minutes at a time, but it helps a lot. Otherwise, just keep the water handy and drink away!

Oh, and make sure it's sugar-free gum! My ortho says chewing gum also helps get things "moving" - he had me start as soon as the braces were on.

I'm having this dry mouth problem too... I've had my braces on for about a week and a half. I will take the "stay hydrated" advice that others have provided and see what happens. I keep lip balm handy, too, and that helps. For mouth irritation, the salt water rinses do help also as everyone says and using the wax is great. It's just a pain b/c you have to take it off if you are really going to chow down. I've snacked with wax still on my braces but I rinse my mouth out after I do. I guess I'll just get used to it as everyone says you do.

Good luck~
Lisa Szy