my teeth hurt --- does Tylenol work?

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#1 Post by tw » Mon Sep 14, 2009 7:33 pm

I had my braces put on Feb /2009 and 2 weeks ago they pulled 4 teeth to make room to straighten my teeth. They suggested to do the extractions before putting the braces on, but they thought we would see how it went without extraction. Today, the wires went back on after being off for a month and my teeth hurt.
What should I take for the pain?
The ortho tech said Tylenol wouldn't work. It contains Acetemetaphine. But the oral surgeon gave me Vicodin when my teeth were extracted (which has acetemetaphine).
So I am confused? I still have some Vicodin left and could take one or should I take the ibuprofen that I have?

#2 Post by **browneyedgrl** » Mon Sep 14, 2009 7:36 pm

I found that motrin worked much better than tylenol. If your over 21, a good drink works too!

B

#3 Post by tw » Mon Sep 14, 2009 7:39 pm

I am more than double over 21...

Is motrin and ibuprofen the same?

#4 Post by **newsboysgrl777** » Mon Sep 14, 2009 8:23 pm

tw - motrin contains ibuprofen; tylenol contains acetaminaphine. You could actually take them together or alternate them for each dose. But for me personally, I take ibuprofen because it tends to help reduce immflammation (swelling) and just seems to help me best. If you do take your vicodin, don't take more tylenol on top of that...you don't want to over-dose (so to speak), as this can cause stress on your liver.

Good luck with your teeth...I know how you feel. Mine are killing me and I'm just so sick of these braces I just want them off. I don't even CARE how my teeth look anymore, that's how irritated I am with the pain. :-\

#5 Post by **Audra** » Tue Sep 15, 2009 8:06 am

Vicodin is a strong narcotic. You do not need to take something that strong for orthodontic pain.

Either tylenol or ibuprofen will help with the discomfort. Or you could take both as they work in different ways.

#6 Post by **bbsadmin** » Tue Sep 15, 2009 9:36 am

Audra wrote:Vicodin is a strong narcotic. You do not need to take something that strong for orthodontic pain.

Either tylenol or ibuprofen will help with the discomfort. Or you could take both as they work in different ways.

It's not a good idea to take Tylenol (Acetaminophen) and Motrin/Advil (Ibuprofen) together, as it can cause gastro-intestinal problems for some people. If you want to take both, take them 3 to 4 hours apart, and always with food, not on an empty stomach.

I agree that Vicodin is overkill for braces pain. Unless the pain is not helped with over-the-counter painkillers, you don't want to take narcotics.

#7 Post by **epiphany7** » Wed Sep 16, 2009 8:46 am

I second what a lot of folks have already said. When I first got my braces put on, I took Tylenol because I know it's supposed to be gentler on the stomach. However, the help was only so-so. By the third day, I was taking Ibuprofen... and what a noticeable difference! So whenever I've needed pain relief since then, Ibuprofen is the drug of choice.

And NEVER take tylenol and ibuprofen at the same time! Bad news for your body.

Feel better!

#8 Post by **Audra** » Wed Sep 16, 2009 9:21 am

I was actually told to take both tylenol (well, percocet, which contains tylenol) and ibuprofen by my orthopedic surgeon when I had acl reconstruction on my left knee. I did space them out, but I did take both each day for several weeks. As well, when I asked the pharmacist about it, she said that because they both work in different ways, that not only was it OK to do, I would have better pain relief.

#9 Post by **epiphany7** » Wed Sep 16, 2009 10:13 am

True - one is an anti-inflammatory (ibuprofen), and the other is an analgesic (Tylenol). The affect the body in very different ways, which is why they are often recommended for different types of pains/problems. But as the moderator said, mixing the two SIMULTANEOUSLY (i.e. taking them at the same time or too close together) is a VERY bad idea in terms of gastrointestinal health, and not something to experiment with.

They can be taken in the same day, but not at the same time.

#10 Post by **epiphany7** » Wed Sep 16, 2009 10:18 am

Oops, left one part out.

In medicine, you also have to consider the cost/benefit and risk/benefit ratios. Is the potential outcome worth the potential costs or associated risks? In extreme cases, sometimes more risky measures are called for. For something relatively minor, sometimes a more conservative approach is necessary.

Audra, I've never had knee surgery, but I can only imagine that it's pretty terrible! Given your health and the invasiveness of the procedure, your surgeon might have thought that the risks of you taking the two as part of the same drug regimen weren't as pressing as your need for SERIOUS pain relief (not to mention not wanting to over-prescribe narcotic pain relief). I wouldn't take the risk, however, for something as comparatively minor as orthodontic pain.

I hope that makes sense!

#11 Post by **Audra** » Wed Sep 16, 2009 10:59 am

Totally makes sense.

And yes, the pain of acl surgery is excruciating. I was taking percocet before physiotherapy sessions for weeks afterwards. It's not unusual for even big beefy men to cry during rehab.

#12 Post by **sarahintx** » Sun Sep 20, 2009 10:58 am

I had my braces put on just a few weeks ago and my teeth have been killing me. I found that taking a couple of Ibuprofen works pretty good. I've also been using a small ice pack off and on as well. It seems to help a lot with the pain.