cheeks and other moans and groans!

[drbucky]

just wondering if the brackets digging into cheeks ever subsides?! I've had my braces upper and lower) on for about 2.5 months and still finding every few days that a bracket or two digs in and cuts the inside of my cheeks/lips. Very irritating! Will be investing in shares in an orthodontic wax producer at this rate!
Another issue at the moment is that the wire on my bottom arch keeps coming out of the last bracket from time to time - I'm now very skilled at popping it back in and knowing when it's out in the first place.

On the bright side (I hope) I can see things moving along at the moment - front teeth are a bit achy now and can see full front surfaces of all four front uppers which is a marked change from before. On the bottom where I have some mild/moderate crowding there's now a gap between two teeth. i had thought that nothing was happening on the lower arch but clearly there is movement.

I have my first adjustment on 22nd January - hoping he'll say that my time has been cut down immensely!! :)

[Raleigh]

I've had mine for six weeks and it does depend. Sometimes it feels like they're literally digging in the insides of my skin but most of the time I can barely feel them even when they scratch my skin.. I guess it depends on how long it takes for your mouth's insides to "toughen up".

I know the feeling of seeing progress and movement, makes you feel so excited I'm glad that you're seeing progress!

[cavomington]

Sadly I can't say it gets better, though it has definitely been worth the progress. Only 1.5 more years
I am going through a ton of wax and I'm at the 6 month marker.

-Braces installed, get used to cheek and lip poking/rubbing after a month or two, cool.

-1st adjustment, 4 looped archwires installed, getting stabbed in the cheeks in 4 new places !

-2nd adjustment, coil spring installed, lots of rubbing on front gums.

-Recently, jaw has shifted a bit, seems like everything in my mouth is having to insure again.

[Lirvinrn]

Same issues here! Stocking up on non-irritating foods that can be slurped thru a straw. Is there anywhere to get the wax besides at the ortho office?

[AM21]

Same issues here! Stocking up on non-irritating foods that can be slurped thru a straw. Is there anywhere to get the wax besides at the ortho office?

You can buy the wax from your local drug store (CVS, Walgreens, etc.) I've also found the wax at Walmart.

[Tobilei]

I have the same problem. No sooner does one irritating spot clear up than another one begins! I'm seriously considering shelling out for a lip guard or lip protector to see if that helps. I find days when I eat food that requires more chewing or do more talking are worse, but sometimes I just wake up with a spot that's rubbed raw.

[Kipepeo]

I've been doing ok with pokey things until the other day. One of my added on hooks, with little ball end, decided to jab into my lip/cheek when I smiled. I'm amazed this thing could even punch a hole. It drew blood! Yikes. I could use wax, as this is an in-use elastics hook, so it just knocks wax off immediately. So, I just lived with it. It's a bit sore, and catches a little bit, but what am I gonna do??? It's better with the elastics on, as they keep the cheek away more than without.

[Lirvinrn]

Does anyone have a suggestion for toothpaste that doesn't burn? I tired Sensodyne and ouch! The Biotene toothpaste doesn't burn but its expensive.

[TMJJill]

I've been doing ok with pokey things until the other day. One of my added on hooks, with little ball end, decided to jab into my lip/cheek when I smiled. I'm amazed this thing could even punch a hole. It drew blood! Yikes. I could use wax, as this is an in-use elastics hook, so it just knocks wax off immediately. So, I just lived with it. It's a bit sore, and catches a little bit, but what am I gonna do??? It's better with the elastics on, as they keep the cheek away more than without.

I found that I can really mold silicone wax over the bracket/hook and elastics. It holds much much better than the regular ortho wax. My favorite (and cheapest) kind of silicone wax is called Mack silicone ear pillows. I buy it in the ear plug section. It is just larger pieces of silicone wax that what we usually get in those small orthodontic wax boxes. They have silicone wax on the dentakit site as well. I think they even have some flavored kind too.

[SmilinginCO]

Does anyone have a suggestion for toothpaste that doesn't burn? I tired Sensodyne and ouch! The Biotene toothpaste doesn't burn but its expensive.

I use Nature's Gate with no sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS). I find that toothpaste with SLS really irritates sores.

[Ellabelle]

Thanks for the ear pillow tip, TMJJill!! I found these knock-offs at cvs for 4.29. It's so much silicone for so cheap! I put huge relief-granting globs on my back brackets/hooks, which have been cutting up the inside of my mouth so badly. It feels amazing now. And there're still 11.5 huge globs of silicone left. Hallelujah!!!

[Kipepeo]

Well, it was about 2 days of suffrage, but it's ok now. Usually any irritated spots only last a day or 2. But I think I will get some of that silicone wax for next time...also looks helpful to keep nighttime unwanted noise down!

[aleksalynn]

It sounds unlikely, but you do get used to it. Same with the elastics (though judging from my dental hygienist's remarks about my "poor cheeks", they must look pretty tender for a while).