Introductions.

[shiningnebula]

Hello,

I had my braces fitted yesterday. I wasn't sure what to expect but they are quite uncomfortable and will take a bit of getting used to. I've been trying to use the wax but I find it eventually dislodges and rolls into my mouth which is pretty unpleasant. My mouth is beginning to get quite sore now. I can't bite or chew. I've been sticking to soft food as recommended. It hurts to smile. Talking has been fine up until this evening where I'm finding it increasingly difficult and more painful. The dentist did warn me that day 3/4 might be the worst. It's only day 1.5 so I'm dreading what the future holds.

My teeth are really bad, particularly my lower ones. There are no minor adjustments here but full-on repositioning of almost all teeth! The process usually takes 6 months on average but it's been explained that mine will take 9 - 12 months.

I'm completely new to this and feeling really demoralised. It's only been 35hrs!

D.

[mapleleafman888]

Hey well just hang in there, take proper pain medication to relieve the soreness. Eat yogurts and drink protein shakes if you can't eat anything more substantial.

I got my braces 9 days ago and days 2-5 were the hardest pain and ache-wise, and days 5-8 were bad for the braces starting to rub against the lips so learn to use wax, and definately use lip chap. Day 9 is here now and I don't even notice I have them anymore, minus time(s) when I am dehydrated and they stick to my inner lips.

A tip for making sure wax stays put: Your teeth need to be dried very well in the spot you want to place the wax, so take a klennex and put it under your lip and then lightly dap the saliva off. Make sure the wax is dry too and be sure to lightly squeeze the bead around the bracket so it has something to grip on. I find the silicone wax works awesome, I place it on at night and it still hangs on even when I wake up and have breakfast. I have to take it off to brush or else it would stay on for who knows how long though.

[shiningnebula]

Thanks Mapleleafman888. I guess it's just a bit of a difficult adjustment. I have wanted this for so long and now they're in I'm thinking 'oh no, what have I done?'. I can see my diet consisting of mainly soft cereal and soup but even that tastes so bizarre!

Is there such a thing as some kind of gum guard that can be put in overnight to reduce rubbing of the cheeks? I've nearly used up (swallowed ) all the wax the dentist gave me initially.

Thanks for your help!

D.

[mapleleafman888]

No problem!

Likewise I felt like that too but I'm okay now. It is a bit of an adjustment but it doesn't take long---don't fight it just find solutions

You can buy dental wax from your local pharmacy or supermarket. And yes, I looked into getting something called the double braces mouth guard (it's supposed to be for sports, but I see it working for night time use too but you'll have to research what's best for you). This mouth guard has a slot for the braces to clip onto and also has soft poly ledges that go up into the gums to provide a buffer.

[JeniK]

I was confused...there are 2 threads of this post! I answered in the other one..and wondered why I could not find it when I read this one! Looked..and there are two threads going !

[shiningnebula]

2 threads going? That's odd - I'm not sure how that has happened. I've just been getting notifications and following the link from my e-mail. No doubling up was intended. I'll have to search for the other one incase someone has given helpful advice

I've just woken up to day 3 (I'm in Scotland). Teeth are pretty tender this morning. I'll try and get a gum guard thing for night time as I'm going through so much wax. The teeth that I would like straightened are more sore - I'm assuming this is because more force is being applied to those ones in order to straighten them? I have a tooth that is behind another tooth and I've no idea how they're going to get it to the front as there are obviously other teeth blocking the way. I've seen photos so I know it can be done but at the moment I'm baffled

D.