First Day with braces....

[BeagleHQ]

... and I'm MISERABLE. Headache, jaw hurts, my molars don't come anywhere near each other so I can't even begin to chew, severe nausea... Is all this normal?! I'm 41 and have upper & lower metal braces. Palette expander coming in a month.

[alicat516]

Hi There,

I'm about 5 weeks in and It does get better. I have Damon clear on the top 6 and damon metal brackets on the rest of my teeth. I also have springs across my front teeth and a spring on the bottom. Also rubber bands 24/7 on each side running top to bottom and then another at night to help fix my bite. I had a headache for like 2 weeks straight. I also couldn't eat anything. Soups and soft food works best. I found myself actually drinking soup right from the bowl instead of eating with a spoon because I truly didn't enjoy eating and I just wanted to get it over with. I had a few moments that I didn't know if I would be able to handle having braces but I kept reminding myself that 1.5-2 years in braces is worth feeling confident about my smile for the rest of my life. This site has really helped me. I have read a ton of posts that gave really good advice.

One of the great things I read was that instead of wax (which can be annoying and move all over and crumble) to use "Mack's Pillow Soft Earplugs". I got them, they work great. They are silicone earplugs that you can rip apart and mold with your fingers to use like you would dental wax.

I also watched a lot of youtube videos about adult braces. They helped me to realize the discomfort in the beginning is temporary. Although I know it doesn't feel like it. Just hang in there. Rest as much as you can, take pain meds, get some orajel, wax/mack's and soft foods. I watched a lot of mindless tv in the beginning and rested as much as I could. It will get better!

[kathydell]

Welcome to the cool kids club! I'm sorry you're having a rough adjustment. I remember exactly what you described. I thought between the soreness and the fact that my teeth didn't come together anywhere, I'd never be able to eat again. It gets better and better and better over time. And the good news is that a lot of people start to see visible changes pretty early on and that gives you motivation to get through the days where you want to rip them off with plyers yourself. Lots of lip balm and don't allow poky wires to make you umcomfortable or tear up your gums. Use the wax or whatever relieves it and tell your ortho if you are getting poked. Sometimes they leave a little extra room in the beginning as your teeth move. That extra room means a little too much wire sticking out the back sometimes. Make sure you run your tongue around there and you're comfortable before you leave the office at each visit. I was 47 when mine went on and it was one of the best things I've done for myself in my whole adult life. Bravo you!

[sally1988]

hey Beagle I also got mine on today, I was feeling ok until I realised my top teeth hit my bottom brackets when I bite down - how on earth am I meant to eat anything or close my mouth without knocking them off!
It's getting sore now after 4 hours but I took a couple of paracetemol when I got to work and will probably keep taking them for a couple of days...
I also have some twisty wires (I think instead of the power chains I keep reading about) to help close my extraction gaps and keep getting my tongue caught in them oww

hang in there beagle we can do it together!

[Featheryy1221]

The first few days can be extremely difficult for some people. Eat foods that require no chewing the first few days (smoothies, eggs, mac and cheese, yogurt, oatmeal, etc). Eventually you should be able to eat normally and the pressure should come to an end. You might get headaches every once in a while. Just keep your eye on the prize and it should help you a bit. Especially when you see your teeth moving.
You mentioned you're getting a palatal expander, so I should warn you, you may get headaches from that as well. I had a palatal expander myself and though I only got like 1 or 2 headaches, that's something some people get. Also you'll have slight pain/pressure in certain areas of your face (nose, eyes, cheeks). But that will go away. Just thought I should tell you ahead of time. You might get extremely frustrated with it or feel miserable with it, but trust me, it is so, so, SO worth it (as long as your palate isn't already fused).

Good luck with your treatment. I hope it gets better for you soon! Hang in there!

[cata]

Like everyone has said, it does get better. The first MONTH was miserable for me. Not only did my teeth hurt, but everything I ate getting caught in my braces really annoyed me. That too has gotten better. I'm not sure if I just learned to eat differently, but food doesn't get caught in my braces nearly as much anymore. I still have random teeth that will hurt for a couple days at a time, and I still get headaches occasionally, but it's much more tolerable. My braces are just part of me now; I don't remember what it was like without them.

[SpottedPickle]

I hope it gets better for you. I hear from some that they end up sleeping through the first few days because it is such a pain while others are not even phased. Stay strong, and make sure to keep up with your pain reliever. Ice cream I hear feels good as well. Some do well with hot liquids, it is soothing.

[BeagleHQ]

Thank you everyone for taking the time for these thoughtful posts, you brightened my day immeasurably. I'm still roughing it today and still cant, but I am muddling through. Wishing you all a wonderful weekend.

Sally - please keep in touch! I appreciate that we are at the exact same point in this torture...er...journey. :)

Kathydell - SO nice to meet a fellow older person with braces. Thank you so much for the note.

[sally1988]

How are you doing now beagle, any better?
I'm still aching all the time and have a few sores on the inside of my lips but paracetamol seems to be working now so its a little relief! have you tried eating anything yet? im still on yoghurt and icecream

[BeagleHQ]

Hi Sally!!

I hurt a bit less and have eaten some soft things but it hurts when I do and I still can't chew hardly at all. I had sores so started putting orthodontic wax over the problem brackets and that has helped muchly. I called my ortho today to see if it's normal that my molars don't meet at all, waiting for a reply.

Thanks so much for the note - I hope you are improving at least a bit! You are welcome to mail me directly at beaglehq@msn.com

Best!

[auco99]

Hi Sally!!

I hurt a bit less and have eaten some soft things but it hurts when I do and I still can't chew hardly at all. I had sores so started putting orthodontic wax over the problem brackets and that has helped muchly. I called my ortho today to see if it's normal that my molars don't meet at all, waiting for a reply.

Thanks so much for the note - I hope you are improving at least a bit! You are welcome to mail me directly at beaglehq@msn.com

Best!

I'm not your orthodontist obviously, but it is not uncommon at all for your molars not to touch, especially in the early stages. That was the case with me, in fact. Ultimately she installed some molar buildups. I totally understand freaking out a little bit when your teeth don't touch, but it's just part of the process for some. You'll learn to chew with different teeth until your bite comes together. Best of luck!

[BeagleHQ]

Thanks, Auco!! That helps. Molar buildups sound pretty Heavenly right about now...

[kindone]

I hope you're feeling a little better. My cousin says be sure to use plenty of wax and don't be shy about getting it from the ortho's office. You paid for it after all.

Getting someone to make you real mashed potatoes with your favorite fixings also helps sometimes. As well as your favorite soup. If you're going to eat soft at least eat happy. I hope it's gotten better. I'm bracing myself because I know I'll be there soon as well.

[Josta]

Hey Beagle, I feel what you're goin through cause I got mine on two days ago. Actually just the tops but then they also put spacers in my bottom molars. So it hurts like hell to even try to eat anything remotely solid and it's pretty much constant discomfort with just the feeling of the foreign metal all over my teeth. But I have faith that it'll go away and i'll get used to it in time. Keep on truckin and hang in there

[SpottedPickle]

Hey Beagle, I hope things are calming down for you!