When a tooth starts aching out of nowhere....

[materialsgirl]

...does it mean that tooth is getting ready to make a move? All of the sudden, my top right canine is really achy. Which is so random because it doesn't seem that far out of line to me. I would have expected the more crooked teeth to start moving first? I clearly have no orthodontical knowledge (and I don't think orthodontical is a real word, but it should be ). Is there any rhyme or reason to the order in which teeth move during treatment? I've had my braces on for 2 weeks now, and I was enjoying the fact that my teeth had stopped aching. So much for that!

[genxsis]

I'm with you on that! It seems that a tooth will hurt, then stop hurting, then others hurt, then the first one hurts again.....it doesn't seem to end! I've had teeth hurting that I really wish would stop because it made eating something so difficult, and then it would stop but then start hurting later on. What's the deal?

[hannah164]

I totally understand! A lot of the time I have totally random teeth hurting so bad I can hardly eat! I'm hoping its because they're moving but I'm not really quite sure!

~Hannah




Top braces: 4/28/04
Bottom braces: 11/16/05
Last Adjustment: February 28, 2006 where they gave me a new bottom wire and attached my impacted canine, newly bracketed, to the wire! OUCH!

[ingyandbert]

The tooth hurts because it's being placed under additional pressure. Either it's moving toward it's ultimate position or it's moving just a little to help create room for another tooth that needs to straighten. I recently felt a lot of aching of one of my premolars, more sore than any other tooth so far. When I checked, I was shocked at how far the tooth had moved in just a couple of days. It rotated dramatically in that short time; no wonder it ached!

[R-A-M-O-N-E-S]

That has happen to me

[brat 2]

I have had my bottom braces on for about 2 1/2 weeks and they had stopped aching. Then they started aching again a couple of days ago now I can hardly bite anything again. I have noticed some of them have moved since they started aching again. At least when our teeth are aching we know the braces are doing they're job.

[CLAmom]

Yesterday one of my upper right molars was aching like I had a cavity. Today it's all better again. It's funny how a little movement can cause a big pain.

[Samantha08]

This might sound weird, but I love it when my teeth start to ache! I take it to mean they are moving!!! YAY!!! I havent been able to see movement in awhile, my teeth look pretty straight but I know there are teeny tiny adjustments going on.

[ItsGavinC]

Is there any rhyme or reason to the order in which teeth move during treatment?

Absolutely. The movement is an equation of the force applied to each tooth, along with the density of bone and tissue that the tooth has to move through. Greater force + less bone/tissue = greater movement. It's important to remember that the roots are moving, not just the crowns of the teeth.

[Lyn]

ItsGavinC says:

Absolutely. The movement is an equation of the force applied to each tooth, along with the density of bone and tissue that the tooth has to move through. Greater force + less bone/tissue = greater movement. It's important to remember that the roots are moving, not just the crowns of the teeth.

That is what my ortho told me. There is alot going on under the surface that we don't see. Nerves are moving along with the roots and bone tissue. Remember, the older you are [in this process] the denser the bone is and the more work it has to do. I always wondered how come little kids don't complain much about braces. Its cause their gums and stuff are still soft and haven't gotten as dense. [I think, hahaha]
I too get random pains that usually last for a day or so.