Metal Mouth Message Board

I got my braces on 4 days ago. Just the top row, and spacers put inbetween my last three teeth on the bottom row on each side. The day after, I got four teeth extracted.

The teeth themselves have been fine until today, when they're all really sore and hurting to the point where I can't concentrate on anything and I had to leave work. Even my front teeth on the bottom row, which don't have any braces on and aren't touching the spacer teeth, are sore for some reason.

I've read that ibuprofen and other painkillers can cause loss of hearing so I'm trying to avoid them.

What are other ways I can manage this pain?

I just try and not think about it. I had my top and bottom put on at the same time and the pain kicked in a few hours later..

I found that I was 'curious' and just kept touching my teeth together on purpose.

If I left them alone, I wouldn't feel the sensitive pain. Just the feeling of the braces rubbing against the inside of my lips. This didn't hurt all that much.

I haven't taken anything for the pain so I wouldn't know how much they help..

Panadol? Ibuprofen isn't that bad short term.. And the pain doesn't last very long, after a few days you won't notice it as much.
Cold / icey drinks help a bit with pain and inflammation.

Ibuprofen in therapeutic doses will not cause hearing loss, so don't put too much stock in everything you read on the internet (I'm an RN).

RN talking here. I am aware of case reports of ibuprofen causing hearing loss. Keep in mind that case reports only talk about one person, and usually, they are written because something really wacky happened. By the very nature of it being wacky, it is not likely to happen to most other people. Hearing loss from ibuprofen is extremely rare. You're actually a lot more likely to damage your stomach or kidneys than you are your ears.

Ibuprofen, taken in correct doses, is a very safe medicine. Just stick to the recommended dose and you should be fine: 200mg every 4 hours, 400mg every 6 hours, or 600-800mg every 8 hours. Choose the dose and frequency that best relieves your pain. To protect your stomach, take it with some food (a yogurt or something more than a couple of crackers, but doesn't have to be a whole meal). To protect your kidneys, drink plenty of water and take no more than recommended. It is best not to take it for long periods of time. Bursts of a few days to two weeks are quite safe.

Alternatively, if ibuprofen still scares you, you can take Aleve (naproxen sodium) or aspirin, both available over the counter. Aleve works very similarly to ibuprofen, but I know of no hearing loss case reports with it. Aspirin is an old medicine, tried and true, but very hard on the stomach. If you go with it, get the enteric coated kind, and DO NOT take it on an empty stomach. Check the bottles of these for recommended doses.

I usually take Aleve. Works great for me!

[quote="djspeece"]Ibuprofen in therapeutic doses will not cause hearing loss, so don't put too much stock in everything you read on the internet (I'm an RN).[/quote]

[quote="boodles8"]RN talking here. I am aware of case reports of ibuprofen causing hearing loss. Keep in mind that case reports only talk about one person, and usually, they are written because something really wacky happened. By the very nature of it being wacky, it is not likely to happen to most other people. Hearing loss from ibuprofen is extremely rare. You're actually a lot more likely to damage your stomach or kidneys than you are your ears.

Ibuprofen, taken in correct doses, is a very safe medicine. Just stick to the recommended dose and you should be fine: 200mg every 4 hours, 400mg every 6 hours, or 600-800mg every 8 hours. Choose the dose and frequency that best relieves your pain. To protect your stomach, take it with some food (a yogurt or something more than a couple of crackers, but doesn't have to be a whole meal). To protect your kidneys, drink plenty of water and take no more than recommended. It is best not to take it for long periods of time. Bursts of a few days to two weeks are quite safe.

Alternatively, if ibuprofen still scares you, you can take Aleve (naproxen sodium) or aspirin, both available over the counter. Aleve works very similarly to ibuprofen, but I know of no hearing loss case reports with it. Aspirin is an old medicine, tried and true, but very hard on the stomach. If you go with it, get the enteric coated kind, and DO NOT take it on an empty stomach. Check the bottles of these for recommended doses.[/quote]

The study I'm talking about is here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2831770/

According to that, Tylenol (acetaminophen) would have an even bigger chance of hearing loss correct?

I'm debating between Ibuprofen and Tylenol for dealing with the soreness right now. Ibuprofen also prevents teeth movement, but seems to have a lower chance of hearing loss according to that study.

And here's the study for women: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3530351/

All NSAIDs can potentially cause hearing loss..... It's not common but if you're worried about it why don't you just use Panadol?
All NSAIDs also may hinder teeth movement..