Metal Mouth Message Board

I just got metal brackets on upper and lower teeth 2 days ago (April 11, 2013). I have a more detailed description of the first day (and a closeup photo of my new metal mouth) in the Braces Stories forum. So far, everything has been as expected and the pain has not been horrible, but is quite annoying. I used to love to eat (too much), but now it is more pain and work - lost 3 pounds in 2 days. The only thing unexpected is my dry mouth. I constantly need to swish water between my brackets and cheeks to keep them "lubricated" . My mouth feels dry most of the time. Has anybody else experienced this? If so, how long does it last, or are there any ways to relieve the dryness?

Yeah, the weight loss is amazing, isn't it? All I can say is drink a lot! That seems to come and go and hasn't been a constant problem for me.

Initially I had dry mouth from about day 2 for maybe a week. It was strange though, more like I had dry braces than dry mouth. I bought a dry mouth mouthwash but by the time I bought it the problem had mostly passed. I do have times where I notice my brackets feel dry again but they really are moments not whole days or anything. Hang in there, it will move along

Yes! For the first 3 days or so, I just couldn't keep my mouth from drying out. I tried everything and then it just returned to normal. Since then, I've had a few days with the opposite problem.....

The dryness tends to come and go. I've noticed it happens more often and it more irritating in the summer months than any other time so keep hydrated!

CountessDeSangre wrote:The dryness tends to come and go. I've noticed it happens more often and it more irritating in the summer months than any other time so keep hydrated!

Oh, thanks for this. Summer is hot here - 32°C to 38°C with very high humidity. I am quite bad at remembering to drink enough but must try harder this year.

Yes, I've had dry mouth the entire time, especially at night and when wearing elastics. I wake up with the worst cotton mouth. Biotene helps.

this is my problem too..had braces on for a week today and my mouth feels sooooo dry. Constant water drinking for me,
hope it passes soon!

I still get it even after 1 year. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!!!! Nothing is worse than having braces stick to lips that will not budge while trying to speak in public.

Oh yeah, terrible dry mouth for about a month three months into treatment. I thought it would never end but it did. truly horrible sensation. tried sprays etc.. but staying hydrated is the best. sometimes you gotta just truck on true

I've found that xylitol helped with the dry mouth because it stimulates my mouth to produce saliva. I have Spry xylitol mints for on the go, and when I'm at home, I actually just "eat" a small amount (half teaspoon) of xylitol crystals.

And yes, of course drinking water helps too! (But sometimes you can't just keep drinking water, such as on a long road-trip or sitting in a meeting/conference for a looooong time!)

I get dry mouth and super chapped lips all the time, so the braces don't really feel different :/

I know they say don't chew gum, but if you want to take the risk (lots of my friends have!!), chew some sugar free gum and it will stimulate your salivary glands. Drinking water helps overall.

Hi - I have had my braces on for 4 days and the first few days my mouth was like a desert !

Besides drinking copious water, I bought a dry mouth spray and it has helped a lot !

You can spray as you need and it definitely improved the condition 80 % !!

Apparently the solution sticks to the mouth and helps lubricate it.