Being a wimp!

[purpleandteal]

After years of appealing for the funding for my braces and surgery, I finally had my first installation appointment yesterday. I got damon brackets on the top and normal (i assume) brackets on the bottom, and rubber spacer things between all my molars. I get the wires and god knows what else put on next week. But holy crap, Im not dealing with the rubbing pain at all well. I have quite a large overbite and now with the damon bracets making my top lip stick out even more, its really hurting. I've got the wax to put over the sharp bits, but I was wondering if anyone had any good tips on what helps the rawness inside my mouth. I'm usually fine with pain, but after 36hrs, Im fully wimping out!!
Help!

[Acklay]

Just keep using wax. The pain will go away once your mouth toughens up. For me it took about a week, and now after being in braces for a little over a month I feel absolutely no pain from rubbing. Just give it some time - the first 4 days were the worst for me.

[purpleandteal]

thanks for replying.... i think i kinda knew that would be the answer id get, i guess i hoped for a magic miracle cure for it. its good to know the mouth doesnt take too long to toughen up though, the thought of having this pain for too long isnt a nice thought at all! moaning already and its not even been 2 days and iv not got wires yet! its gunna be a fun couple of years haha

[OldBikerBag]

The wires will help.

And some ibuprofen.

[purpleandteal]

i was told not to take ibrprofen, something to do with needing the swelling in the gums for cushioning or something (im new to al this)but i gues as no movemen is happenng now, then that doesnt count?
yea im hoping when i have the wires put on, it'l take away some of the sharpness of the brackets

[PS101]

You can do it! Hang in there.

I am also experiencing pain from rubbing on the top and bottom, only in the front.

I just tried putting Orajel PM on the areas that hurt. I think it will help me fall asleep at least. I probably wouldn't use it during the day, only because I wouldn't want to eat or drink with this stuff. it tastes bad and I don't want to numb up my whole mouth.

I haven't heard about the inflammation/swelling being good for cushioning, but it could be true. If you want to help with pain, but not effect inflammation, you could take acetaminophen (Tylenol). Just make sure you are dosing correctly.

[OldBikerBag]

First time in my life I have ever heard of any medical professional advocating inflamation. Inflamation damages tissue and causes unnecessary pain if the inflamation can be controlled. Cushioning??? Seriously?

Chew ice if your teeth can tolerate it. Gob the wax on like you're putting Play-Do in your sister's hair.

[Sita]

Rinsing your mouth out with warm salty water helps a lot, especially at bed time. About 1 teaspoon of salt in a glass of warm water. I still have to do that on occasion because of the irritation caused by me biting the inside of my mouth during the night. Helps a lot.

[purpleandteal]

ps101, the worst it for me is the right hand side corner of my top lip..sooooo sore!!! it woke me up this morning as i rolled over onto it. no fun!!

oldbikerbag, the info i have says "the brace moves teeth by creating a zone of contrlled inflammation around the roots. you will feel this as an ache....(blah paracetamol blah blah).... aspirin or ibroprufen will also reduce the aching but they might hinder tooth movement and so are not recomemded as the first choice analgsic"
dont shoot the messenger :0p is just what i have on my info sheet. and yea, the wax is being used a lot these past 12hrs or so, will need toget sme mre at my next appt. iv never been able to chew ice, sensitive teeth and such.

sita, i will definitly try salt rinses, i need this rubbing to calm down!


Thanks so much for replies, im glad i found this site so i can actually ask things like this without being told to stop moaning!

[nikkibabie19]

I know what you mean about asking things...

for some reason i always have a bunch of questions to ask the ortho and at each appointment i always seem to forget (or can only remember 2 things to ask)

SO im grateful to this site to hear all the input etc...
And i can only talk to one of my friends who had braces about 2yrs ago...but its not the same a someone going through it at the same time...If u know what i mean..

[purpleandteal]

yea i totally get what you mean about having people to talk to who are actually going through it. Noone I know has braces now, and those who I know who did have them, had them in their teens and it might sound silly but its different (or at least feels that different) being 26 with braces. Its so nice being able to connect with people who undrestand all the little worries and things.

[Marktee]

Ive got all this to look forward to lol.

[purpleandteal]

haha :0p it does get easier....it got a whole lot worse after getting my wires in, but now its getting easier. today has been a lot better pain wise... and hey, its all for a good cause, right?! :0)

[BellaBraces]

Yes, it gets easier. Although I have found that as the teeth start moving the brackets obviously find themselves in a different place in the mouth and find new tender spots to rub on. Nothing quite as bad as in the first few days but you may find a few nasty surprises along the way. Just keep oral gel and painkillers on hand, plus plenty of wax.