Metal Mouth Message Board

Hi, Everyone:

Well, I finally got my braces on this past Monday!! My teeth don't hurt but I am having an awful time with the braces scrubbing against the inside of my cheeks. I'm sure there have been postings on this subject, I just don't know how to filter them out.

Can anyone give me an idea about how long I will have to use the wax? I did read once where someone said you have to let your cheeks "toughen up." Does that mean I need to deal with this pain and scraping until I have scabs in my cheeks???? Right now I have a ball of wax on practically all of my upper "side" teeth and on my bottom wisdom teeth with the steel rings around them.

Any information would be appreciated.

Thanks!!

Hi, just a note on the scrubbing....well, I was all fine, and had stopped using the wax, now this past week I had to use it again, because the left side was really scrubbing again!! So in my opinion, it comes and goes. I seem to wake up in the night a lot biting on the side of my cheek! Seems there is just not enough room in there! Sorry, if this is dissapointing!

Thanks, Katarina. Do you know the purpose of the salt water rinses? Do they help with the pain or something?

I think the salt helps heal wounds, plus it shrinks swelling. So, it does help some, kind of like with a sore throat. My teeth don't hurt to bad, just feel kind of "stiff", which sometimes bugs me!!

I remember it being bad initially but after a few weeks it all felt tons better. After a month or so, I rarely had to use wax. It does however come and go, your teeth move around a bit and a wire can suddenly start to bother you. Each person is different, but just keep using wax as you need it. It will get so much better! I've had my braces for a year and I hardly feel them. My gums never get scratched or sore anymore.

Thanks, Mary. I actually went one day without wax on my 12 hour shift at work. The steel molar "clasps" or "bands on my back molars did their usual scraping of my cheeks, but this time, I didn't feel any pain, but the spots that they were scraping built up "bumps" at the scraping site. Then when I got home, I put wax on before I went to sleep, and the "bumps" went down alot. I am still doing the salt washes and wearing the wax when I go to bed.