Help... I'm in pain

[klhnz]

It is only day 2 but I am in sooo much pain. It's not really my teeth but rather the pain to the inside of my mouth. I had metal braces attached to my bottom teeth yesterday. I have a nasty white sore under one side of my tongue from it catching on a sharp bit to one of the band. My dentist filed the sharp bit down a little bit today but the damage is done. I have ulcers on the sides of my mouth and it is super painful to talk. (my kids are happy about that). I can't chew any food at all and just put food in my mouth and swallow whole.

I have cried all day, hid out at home for most of the day and feel miserable. I hate this and its only day 2 in this journey. Please... does it get better? will my sores heal? will I be able to talk normally again and eat normally again?? I've been rinsing my mouth out with salted water twice today, used bongela on the sores but they seem to be getting worse. my tongue is so raw that to talk its unbearable. I am so upset... even crying as I write this.

Had to take my son to his rugby practice this afternoon and i tried to 'fake it till I make it' and be confident and chatted to the other Mums but I felt that with every word I spoke, the insides to my mouth were ripping up even more. Will this pass?

Please someone.. do you have any advice???

[Porge]

I'm with you. This is my second day with braces top and bottom and my mouth is feeling it today. Mouth ulcers are the worst. I think salt water should really help and you can do it more frequently to try expedite the healing. I don't know from experience that it gets better but from what I have read this pain is just temporary. I hope your kids take it easy on you for the next couple of days

[klobird]

Use wax EVERYWHERE!! (I find that Mack's earplug wax is the softest and easiest to apply--sticks really well.) Swish with Rincinol. I don't know what bonjela is--numbing gel?--I use numbing gel at times too...and then some Ibuprofen.

Yes--it will get better. Your mouth will toughen up. Try to keep the chatting to a minimum when it's bad like this. I'm a chatterbox, and during times when there is a lot of movement, I can get pretty sore if I let my mouth run...

Try to take it easy right now--don't push yourself--time will be your friend.

Try not to panic--it will get better!!

[smilingoutloud22]

Promise you it will get better! Crying and pain were part of my experience - stay strong and think of the end result! BIG HUG!

[klhnz]

I'm seriously holding onto the fact that people say it will get better. I'm getting better at putting on the wax although it makes me feel even more bulked up but at least it takes some of the pressure off. The sore under my tongue is huge and it is still a struggle to talk. Had a massive meltdown this morning and couldn't stop crying for ages. I can manage all the sores on insides of my cheeks but this tongue one is awful! I can't see how it will get better when it rubs constantly on the sharp piece of the band. My dentist said she can't file it anymore as that is how they remove the band later on.

Made my first smoothie... I'm on weight watchers and am allowed 20pts a day. Yesterday I only had 6pts as eating is sooo hard and my main item was iceblocks. I'm feeling really weak today (day3) so I'm trying the smoothie path now.

I can't believe I'm not coping with mouth sores... my goodness I've had 3 kids!!! And I miss talking too. My hubby is away this weekend and I'm worried about how I will manage with the kids (all boys)...wish me luck!

[Porge]

Good idea with the smoothies! I haven't tried them yet but have made soup and apple sauce which have been easy to eat. Goodluck with your boys this weekend

[klhnz]

This whole time I was worried about how I would look with braces on.. (I know I know vain!) but since they have been on all I can think about is the pain of these stupid mouth ulcers. I'm bearly talking (kids are getting away with so much)... but I am seriously trying to be positive.
I do feel a bit weird when i see someone for the first time with these on.. and am constantly asking..."Do I look weird?" "Do I look bulky?"...

another tough day!

[klhnz]

For those of you who have made it through the initial early days... will I need to use wax the whole time or will my cheeks heal and become use to the roughness in my mouth?

I blended up my dinner tonight as I've hardly eaten since getting the braces on 3 days ago. Still in the "OMG what have I done?" stage! Still very tearful but I think that is because of the pain from the ulcers.

[BellaBraces]

I think your cheeks will eventually get used to it.

What I found is that the ulcers were painful initially but got better. I am now just into my 3rd week and I am getting some rubbing in slightly new spots due to movement of the teeth (or so I suppose). However it is not as bad as it was at first.

[klhnz]

I'm using the wax all over during the day but at night I take it off so that my cheeks can get use to it although I'm unsure if that is the right thing to do? My mouth is covered with sores... still struggling to talk.

[jem]

I would be inclined to keep the wax on full time until the sore spots heal up. That may only take a couple of days. You will probably then find that your mouth has toughened up and you will only need occasional wax. Hang on in there!

[CleoAZ]

I went with wax at night on everything and only a bit during the day and only if a particular spot was really troubling me. I am at one week now, and I have found that I tense my mouth / lips when I work.... so all of the tissue soreness that I was able to relieve overnight with wax come right back with a vengeance..... YAY for a stressful job??!!??

Just stay positive - salt water rinses, topical pain relievers, wax. One week in and things are much better for me.

[klhnz]

I am holding on to the fact that this will get better... day 4 I'm using wax all over which bulks me up and makes me look like a chipmunk. After dinner i clean my teeth and take all the wax off to try and get use to the braces. I still have loads of sores and have increased the salt rinses.

the tears have been less today although I'm a bit short with the kids when I have to repeat myself and it hurts to talk.

I am desperate for my mouth to get use to the metal rubbing... please please hurry up!

[klobird]

I am so sorry you are still in pain--I just want to reach in and make it better!!!

Do you have Rincinol in the pharmacy section where you live? Ask the pharmacist if you can't find it. If I were you I would check it out TODAY! Rincinol is a liquid coating that covers the sore areas--it is amazing. You just swish a capful and don't eat or drink after. I have used a bottle of it since I got braces! You could even use the Rincinol and then apply the wax. Great stuff...

I need to re-iterate---wax--all the time---wax. Forget the trying to get used to it stuff. Don't worry, your mouth will get used to the braces anyway. You really don't need huge globs, just enough. And you will get really good at putting it on. Eventually, you will rarely need it at all, only here and there.

Sorry about being a broken record player--I just wish this icky part was over for you!!
The first 2 weeks are really the most difficult because it's all new. When you start to see changes--and they happen pretty quickly--your perspective will change--guaranteed!!
You will get to the point that you don't even notice the braces anymore.

I just wish you all the best...

[Grace123]

I'm at 8 weeks and just want to lend my support and tell you that klobird is right. My ortho assistant told me the less wax I used the quicker I would toughen up but it was only when I started to use tons of it that I started to heal and toughen up. Luckily i found this site and listened to others in my same situation. Now I find I only get sore if I try to eat things that take an over abundance of chewing or when I speak a lot more than usual and then inuse the salt water, wax up overnight on the bad spots and wake up better. So wax up big time and don't worry about eating with the wax on. My heart is with you.