Day 1 and I already want to rip them off! Help!

[Charley]

Hi everyone, sorry in advance for the rant.

I got my braces on yesterday. Metal braces top and bottom to fix severe crowding. I've been told treatment time is likely to be 18 months to 2 years.

Yesterday I was in no pain at all, had them fitted at about 3:30 in the afternoon, went to bed fine, was starting to think everyone who told me I'd be in pain was a drama queen.... and then I woke up this morning! Oh holy hell.

I've never been in this much pain and general discomfort and frustration. I really can't tell you how much I'm struggling and feel like I can't cope already.

My cheeks are all sore and cut from the wires and hooks. I can't get the wax to stay on! It keeps coming off :( my teeth are so sensitive, a couple in particular, I can't even touch them. There's no chance I can bite or chew. I physically can't eat. It even hurts to drink or talk because when my mouth moves around and my cheeks rub over the braces they get sliced.

I'm struggling to eat even soft foods which is just adding insult to injury that I can't even eat any food!!!!

I know it will be worth it in the end but it's just so hard to see that at the moment. Its feeling more like torture than treatment! Please tell me I'm not alone and this will get better! How much longer can I expect to feel like this?

Thanks in advance

[Prometheus]

Take some Motrin or Aleve. Generally you should avoid NSAIDs with braces because they slow down tooth movement, but if you are in this much pain you need something to get you over the hump. By all means use wax on the offending brackets. To get it to stick, warm the wax up by rolling a small pea size bit between your thumb and index finger then dry the bracket with a tissue and push the wax on and around the bracket. It will get better, but might take 3-4 days.

[Mpkh]

Take some painkiller--Aleve or Motrin will do the trick. Also, you may have to live off smoothies for a bit...try eating cold things, like yogurt or ice cream. The cold helps to temporarily numb the pain. You can also try Oraljel too, to temporarily help with the mouth sores. Braces aren't fun but they will be worth it!

[FlyByNight]

When I first got them on, I would let ice water sit in my mouth to numb the pain.

[Juliebrynn1]

Please try to be patient. Do not make the mistake I did which was to use hydrogen peroxide. I repeat, do NOT use hydrogen peroxide. I used it and cause peroxide burn. I was depressed for about a week because it caused my mouth to form white bumps and made my lips huge. Try to take some over the counter pain killers and use the wax, regardless of what the doctors say. Use the wax. It will get to the point where u wont need as much. When i had the peroxide burn, I used so much wax that it covered every bracket and tooth. Just try to be patient. biting down for me is still an issue, because my top teeth hit the bottom bracket, but u do get used to it, especially when u go for ur next apppointment and they change out the wires. I was honestly in a depression for about 10 days and couldn;t eat or sleep and lost about 10 pounds due to it. But it will be ok. Trust me. I wish I knew then what I know now. Use oragel mouth wash. That helps too. And just try to be patient with yourself. Don't loose hope like I did and please ask advice in these forums. Everyone here is so helpful. I wish you the very best.

[djspeece]

The first few weeks are horrible for many of us. My sympathies. This too will pass, trust me.

Agree with advice to take ibuprofen (Motrin, Aleve) as it specifically targets biochemical mediators of dental and orthopedic pain. I'm not convinced that it significantly slows down tooth movement, especially if taken as directed for limited amounts of time (such as initial debracing and application of new powerchains or stronger archwire for a few days). As far as wax goes, you'll find that in some cases smaller globs adhere better than larger ones. I found that BB sized amounts seemed to stay on longer. Others have used silicone, such as found in Mack's ear plugs but for me it did not stay on as long as regular dental wax.

There are a few threads on soft foods and smoothies which you may want to check out as well. Best of luck to you!

[JanineJanine]

Rest assured it will get better! The first five days were the hardest for me, after which I was able to reintroduce most solid foods. I never got on with wax but did find that when the gums are inflammed piece of gauze placed between the gums and the brackets gives the gums a chance to recover.

[Heartofdarkness]

Hang in there. I can relate since I'm only 2 months into my process and the first week was terrible. With my upper jaw I didn't need the wax but when they put on the lowers a month later... oh my god. My cheek got hooked on the wire like a fish! Everything gave me cuts. Use the wax, try to work it in, not just put it there. If it gets in between all the nooks and crannies it stays on longer. If your teeth hurt while doing this you can put a finger behind the tooth for support.

[Heartofdarkness]

Sorry, this was in my first page so I assumed it was recent.

[Heidirs]

If you're having trouble with the wax, you could give these a try. Looks like most people wear them as they sleep. Not sure how recommended they are.
https://www.amazon.com/COMFORT-LIP-SHIE ... B00H2S7TC0

[Michu]

I currently only have top braces since august of 2016, and I will only have them a year. I broke two brackets in different months, one was october by eating a chicken wing lol, and the other was last month from eating a kit kat (not cold) two days before my retie which was fine. Once I the top off, I will be looking for a different ortho to get the bottoms bc I didn't have insurance at that time and I paid the top out of pocket, stupid me. Will I get them off in a few months?

[Michu]

Lol the pain will go away soon

[kcjawjourney]

The first week or so is terrible, but it will get better. The pain will slowly go away and you'll get used to eating and brushing. The tissue on the inside of your cheeks will get used to sitting against the braces and it won't be as irritating.

The day I got my braces on, I remember thinking "wtf was I thinking? how will I survive???" BUT, like practically everyone else on this board, I got used to them and now they are just a mild annoyance. The time goes by very quickly! I've had mine on for 8 months and [knock on wood], I only have 8 weeks left!

My only pieces of advice: 1.) Get a waterpik, it's a lifesaver, 2.) follow your orthodontists instructions. I'm amazed at the number of people who don't wear their elastics as instructed, eat contraband foods that break their brackets, or who don't show up to their appointments! The more you follow instructions, the faster the time will go.

[Whimsical]

The first two weeks when I got my uppers were a living hell, they hurt more than anything I've ever had since, including exposure surgery on my impacted canine. The lowers didn't hurt even a tiny bit, which was bizarre, but welcome!

Now, I eat absolutely anything (apart from really hard or sticky things) and have no problems at all. It definitely gets better, I am the biggest wimp there ever was, I wish I'd known then just how much better it would get!

[bbsadmin]

If you're having trouble with the wax, you could give these a try. Looks like most people wear them as they sleep. Not sure how recommended they are.
https://www.amazon.com/COMFORT-LIP-SHIE ... B00H2S7TC0

We sell them at DentaKit, plus a bunch of other types which might also help, and our site has genuine customer reviews: http://www.dentakit.com/dewaxalandli.html