PLEASE tell me it gets better...

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#1 Post by **gypsydoodlebug** » Fri Jan 13, 2006 5:30 pm

'cause right now I want to die.

Got ceramic uppers and metal lowers yesterday, plus a BLUE cement build up on my upper left molars. Those teeth REALLY hurt (ache), plus everything is getting all cut up. The build-ups aren't really helping anything, and my top teeth keep slamming down on my bottom braces, which hurts and jars me (I have a 100 percent overbite).

Because of the build-ups, I'm on a pretty soft/liquid diet (although I ate spaghetti tonight...just kinda sucked it down whole).

On the plus, I've discovered flavored cream of wheats.

How long does it usually take for everything to settle down, toughen up and generally make my life a little easier??

#2 Post by **krennen** » Fri Jan 13, 2006 5:44 pm

I can relate to your pain.

Had my braces put on yesterday too. Wondering what have I done and will I ever eat anything but mush!!! I know it will be worth it in the end though. Today all of my front teeth ache top and bottom. With 4 bicuspids gone there's no turning back. We can only hope it gets better

#3 Post by **momof2grlz** » Fri Jan 13, 2006 5:52 pm

I'm so sorry you're feeling miserable right now, but in a few short days it WILL get better. Be sure to use wax on pokey things that are cutting your mouth. I also took Advil as directed on the package for the first couple of days. Don't let the soreness become excrutiating and then take pain reliever. Take the pain med. on a regular basis to "stay ahead" of the pain. In just another day or two you'll realize that you don't need the pain med. as often. Stick to a soft diet of jello, shakes, smoothies, mashed potatoes, noodles, etc.

Hang in there! In a couple of weeks you won't even remember you have braces (until it's time to brush, floss, proxy, fluoride, etc. etc.)!

Chris

#4 Post by **KJM** » Fri Jan 13, 2006 7:14 pm

Congrats gypsydoodlebug!!!

I second momof2grlz suggestion of using plenty of wax and advil.
Also, make sure your drinking plenty of water, I find being dehydrated will make my brackets irritate my cheeks much more.
Yogurt, smoothies, noodles, mashed potatoes, oatmeal... all great things to eat right now while things are sore.
In a couple weeks you should be feeling a million times better ( honestly! I know its hard to believe but it is true!) so hang in there!

#5 Post by **gypsydoodlebug** » Fri Jan 13, 2006 8:08 pm

Thanks for the words of encouragement. Just took a bubble bath and opened a bottle of wine -- white, of course, so it doesn't stain, lol!!

The thing that kills me most is that my teeth are about 85 percent straight...we're trying to open up my bite. I have a weird overbite that's not noticeable, really, but it's pushing my top teeth out, causing perio problems.

OT: My 21/2-year-old saw me yesterday and said, "Hey! Whatchu got in your mouf?" I told her they were braces and they were going to make Mommy beautiful. She said, "You ARE bootiful, Mommy!!"

#6 Post by **dena** » Fri Jan 13, 2006 11:18 pm

gypsydoodlebug--i hope you feel better soon! all the suggestions here are really good ones. also, don't be afraid to just take it easy--get a nap when you can. this is a big adjustment!

I find that the pains are different every day. For the last two days, my braces have been poking huge holes in my cheeks. Tomorrow that will be gone though and sometihng different will be sore. It seriously comes and goes a lot, so I'm sure your mouth will adjust. Wax, advil, and orajel are good things to keep handy!

Feel better and good luck!

#7 Post by **true_jaat** » Sat Jan 14, 2006 1:50 am

I think it will take approx 2 weeks to adjust to the braces. The first 2 weeks were the most hard for me - after that it has been a smooth ride (so far).

#8 Post by **bckydgardnr** » Sat Jan 14, 2006 7:06 am

You will wake up one morning and you will feel better. And as everyone has said, it is about two weeks. Then after that you just get used to having everything in your mouth. It is like your brain just resigns and says OK, gotta deal with this. After the intial two weeks, I have never had to deal with the same amount of pain or discomfort. Hang in there, it gets better.

gardnr

#9 Post by **gypsydoodlebug** » Sat Jan 14, 2006 8:17 am

Mushed down some scrambled eggs for breakfast, so at least I'm getting some protein. Only have one spot near my lips that's giving me some trouble this morning, but I'm all waxed up...

I found something online called ORAFILM -- you know how everything is being made into strips that can be put on your tongue and dissolved? This has some sort of Orajel-type product in it and you just shove it into your cheek that's getting cut and it dissolves right there. I got it at edentalstuff.com and bought two of them, so I'll let y'all know how it works.

#10 Post by **luxekitty** » Sat Jan 14, 2006 11:20 am

It took about a week for things to really start shaping up, 2 weeks was A LOT better.

#11 Post by **dena** » Sun Jan 15, 2006 11:06 am

gypsydoodlebug--I was thinking of you yesterday! I woke up with a huge swollen welt on the inside of my cheek because all of the pointy, nasty braces parts had united the night before and attacked me. I was covered in wax, and it still hurt so bad and was totally swollen. I ended up taking the wax off and leaving it off (no one is going to believe this, but it hurt worse with the wax...I *think* that is because my cheeks had sores and were swollen and the wax made my teeth/braces *bigger* and the swollen skin kept dragging across and getting stuck...anyway, I don't know if that makes sense but it did hurt worse for some reason.)

Anyway, the point is I was in a lot of pain.

But, by the afternoon, it was GONE. It just went away and those same braces that had been ripping holes in the inside of my cheek were just fine and comfy as ever! Anyway, I hope your discomfort has stopped, but I just wanted to tell you that the worst pain I've had so far just went away on its own in a few hours with no action from me. No clue why--but that should be comforting!

#12 Post by **gypsydoodlebug** » Sun Jan 15, 2006 7:19 pm

dena wrote:gypsydoodlebug--I was thinking of you yesterday! I woke up with a huge swollen welt on the inside of my cheek because all of the pointy, nasty braces parts had united the night before and attacked me. I was covered in wax, and it still hurt so bad and was totally swollen.

Oh, you poor thing! I'm so sorry!

Is it me, or are the ceramics harder on the cheeks than the metal braces? My bottoms are fine but it's my uppers that are cutting. And I'm having a hard time wrapping my lips/cheek muscles around my canines -- they're really impairing my speech. Ugh!

OK, so, we actually ate OUT tonight!! If I didn't get out of this house and stop feeling sorry for myself, I was going to seriously lose it!! Dh said I had to stop using my braces as a disability: "My teeth hurt -- you have to to the dishes." "My teeth hurt -- you have to give DD a bath." "My teeth hurt -- you have to clean the kitchen floor with a non-ortho toothbrush and no cleaner, then give the dog a bath and scoop the litter boxes while I lie on the couch and watch TiVo'd episodes of Maury Povich."

Well, fine. So we went to the Olive Garden (yeah, I know, but it was the only soft-food place we could think of other than PF Chang's, and our 2.5-year-old is a picky eater). Waited 45 mintues for a table -- I work for a national pizza magazine and it still never ceases to amaze me WHY people dig this place so much -- and finally got seated. I perused the menu, and finally ordered a specialized dinner of cappellini and marinara (not their chopped tomatoes and basil concoction) and I got the pasta e fagioli soup as my appetizer. Oh -- and a glass of Precipato white, too! It worked well -- I cut my cappellini really, really small (like I would for my daughter) so I could swallow it whole. Ate about 1/2 the soup and managed to pick the inside out of their yummy breadsticks. I was finally FULL!!

Then, I proceeded to do the Archwired group proud! I brushed my teeth in the public bathroom with my travel cup, toothpaste and toothbrush! LOL!!