Does it hurt?

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#1 Post by **Janey** » Sat Nov 07, 2009 1:31 pm

I'm having 6 month braces fitted in exactly 2 weeks (yes, I am counting down!). So far I've been worried about peoples reaction to them and the difficulty of wearing them but as I get nearer to 'b' day I've started to worry out the process itself. The dentist has said he will need to file down my teeth to give them room to move. The posts on here say it doesn't neccessarily hurt but as I hate the sound of the drill I can't imagine that IPR will sound any better! Any tips on how to cope with the 45 mins that I will be sat in the chair with my mouth open as far as it will go!

#2 Post by **letigrelady** » Sat Nov 07, 2009 2:03 pm

the brace fitting itself doesnt hurt at all. I had mine fitted on thursday... the fitting was pain free, my teeth are aching however since Friday, but i'm only three days in and am told by my teens at work that after a week you start to feel better. Stock up on soup and yoghurt, soft fish, mash potato!
You'll be fine. They filed a bit of my teeth with a thin strip - i didnt feel it at all and didnt even realise.
Let me know how you get on. Just keep thinking.. 6 months.. we're lucky...and then a beautiful smile to be proud of!
x

#3 Post by **letigrelady** » Sat Nov 07, 2009 2:05 pm

Janey wrote:Any tips on how to cope with the 45 mins that I will be sat in the chair with my mouth open as far as it will go!

They do give you breaks in between so you will be able to move your mouth. Are you having top and bottom done?

#4 Post by **gapbegone** » Sat Nov 07, 2009 2:13 pm

I am sorry I cannot comment on the 6 month braces, but you mentioned IPR. I have had a little experience with this...

IPR- Interproximal Reduction - "teeth shaving" was no big deal really. Turns out my ortho does use the hand held motorized instrument, which looks like a dremel. It is basically like a very thin, sharp round disk which spins. He came in, there was water and a suction used with it, and he went to town on about 10 or 11 teeth, in between them. They take off a little in between all these teeth so it makes a little room for when the braces pull together. This was on my bottom jaw because they need to pull these in a little to keep my bite even when they pull my top teeth together. This procedure only took about 8 mins, and it was not as uncomfortable as I thought it was going to be. It did vibrate and you could feel it touch the gum which hurt a little, and then there was the cold from the water on the newly exposed sides of my teeth. The cold sensation really was the worst part, and not bad at all. My bottom teeth are rather narrow, and this made them even more so, but I know it will all look great in the end.

Hope that helps. Pretty much everything I have had done in the dental and ortho field, was never as bad as I had built it up to be. You will be fine!!!

#5 Post by **Quirky Girl** » Sat Nov 07, 2009 3:49 pm

My advise would be to wear plenty of chapstick to keep your lips from drying out and if you are concerned about the sound of the tool used for the IPR take an ipod or mp3 player to listen to. Hope this helps.

#6 Post by **signingsunflower** » Sat Nov 07, 2009 5:37 pm

I agree with Quirky Girl....wear lots and lots of chapstick. The placement of the brackets isn't painful...just more time-consuming. I had my uppers done first and then my lowers done three months later so it was pretty easy for me. It only took me about two weeks to adjust. I'm a year in now and am so glad I made this decision. My first few days in braces I remember thinking...."WHAT WAS I THINKING?" But now those thoughts have been replaced with, I can't wait to see how pretty my smile will be when m ortho is done.

Good luck to you!

#7 Post by **sauerkraut** » Sat Nov 07, 2009 7:16 pm

Janey wrote: Any tips on how to cope with the 45 mins that I will be sat in the chair with my mouth open as far as it will go!

I don't think you need to worry too much about this bit. The ortho puts a plastic shield thing (cheek retractor? not sure of exact name) in your mouth to hold your lips away from your teeth. So it's not the same as you having to hold your mouth wide open like you might do for dental examinations, for example.

I second (third?) the chapstick tip. Your mouth has to be kept really dry so the glue holds properly, and chapstick helps stop your lips feeling sore.

If you're having any molar bands fitted, and they're going on teeth which are already tender from spacers, then that can get a bit uncomfortable. But overall having braces fitted is a pretty painless, dare I say almost boring, process!

I'm sure you'll do fine

#8 Post by **Janey** » Mon Nov 09, 2009 9:22 am

Thnks for all the advice. I'll stock up on chapstick and get a good playlist ready for my IPOD. I'm only having the top ones done, for the moment anyway so hopefully the whole process will seem pretty quick and painless ..

#9 Post by **lilykitty** » Mon Nov 09, 2009 7:02 pm

Just had my teeth shaved today. It wasn't bad at all, the worst part was when they reached my gum line, and I noticed after the fact that my gums started bleeding. I have very sensitive gums/teeth so being in that area really bothered me.

The noise is the worst part, seriously. Otherwise it just feels like a thick piece of floss moving back and forth.

#10 Post by **jjrp434** » Mon Nov 09, 2009 8:44 pm

Chapstick is a good idea. IPR usually doesn't hurt, but can feel a little bumpy or smell a little dusty. What I remember most about getting braces was the spacers which hurt a little. Getting the first wires placed made my teeth a little sore too.

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