When a person is going to wear orthodontics and already knows what it is going to consist of and how long their treatment is going to last, it is normal for many other doubts to arise.
For example, patients often ask what they will be able to eat while wearing braces and what they will not, as well as whether orthodontics will affect the way they speak or whether it will be painful.
In fact, this last question is one of the most worrying for those who are about to or have just had braces put on.
That is why, in this article, we are going to resolve all the questions you may be asking yourself now about this aspect.
Does it hurt to put on braces?
The placement of the brackets as such, that is, the moment when the orthodontist attaches them to the teeth, does not hurt.
This is because the procedure to place them is based on cementing the brackets on the teeth.
Therefore, no additional invasive technique is used.
That is to say, no carving or modification of any aspect of the tooth is performed.
However, once this appointment is over, you may begin to feel discomfort or pain in your mouth.
This discomfort occurs during the first few days and can be of two types, since they are due to different reasons:
Caused by the movements made by the brackets on your teeth: they produce general pain in the teeth and sensitivity when eating.
Caused by the rubbing of the brackets in your mouth: they cause sores or wounds on your lips or cheeks -in the case of metal or sapphire brackets- or on your tongue -in the case of lingual orthodontics.
Finally, if you want to know what the braces placement procedure is like at our clinic, we recommend you watch the following video.
The process is characterized by indirect cementing -which makes the process faster, more precise and more comfortable for the patient-,
Placement of brackets by indirect bonding
Although the video shows aesthetic sapphire brackets, the placement process is the same for all types of brackets.
How long do brackets hurt at first?
The duration of pain and discomfort after the placement of braces depends on each person, as they are subjective aspects.
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However, we can say that in general this sensation varies depending on its origin.
That is to say, if the pain is due to the movements made by the orthodontics on the teeth, it lasts between three and four days.
If, on the other hand, the discomfort is due to the rubbing of the brackets on the buccal mucosa, it lasts approximately one week.
At this point, it should be noted that the duration of these discomforts is generally the same in all bracket treatments.
However, in the case of Incognito lingual braces, it is possible to experience these discomforts for more than 2 weeks.
There may be differences in the pain felt in the upper and lower teeth.
The lower teeth hurt more because the jaw bone is denser and the bracket rubs against the lower lip.
Does my mouth hurt during check-ups?
The check-ups, which are usually scheduled every 4 to 6 weeks, are not painful in themselves.
During these appointments, the orthodontist monitors the progress of the treatment and acts on the appliance to activate new micro-movements (changes and adjusts the ligatures or bands, checks the arches…).
In this way, the teeth will move progressively until they reach the right position.
Due to these changes and adjustments, it is also normal that, once the check-up is over, pain or temporary discomfort will reappear.
This discomfort lasts for a couple of days, which is less time than when the brackets were first placed.
In addition, at this point in the treatment the sensations are already familiar, so the patient already knows what he or she is going to feel and the adaptation process is more bearable.
Placement of brackets
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PLACEMENT OF BRACKETS
What to do if your braces hurt?
Once we have explained why braces hurt and for how long they last, it is important to point out that, in addition to being absolutely normal, discomfort is part of the treatment.
Orthodontics forces teeth that have been in position for many years to move.
Therefore, the discomfort is due to the need to exert force on the teeth to be moved.
Because of this, it is not normal for a person who has been fitted with braces to feel neither pain nor the slightest discomfort.
Although each case must be assessed individually, it is possible that the fact of not feeling pressure or sensitivity is due to the orthodontics not having been adjusted properly.
As we have previously advanced, to know what to do if your braces hurt, the first thing to do is to identify the cause of the pain.
Do not be in doubt
If you feel pain due to orthodontics and you do not know if it is a normal sensation, resolve your questions with your orthodontist.
If the pain is due to the movements made by the appliance on your teeth, you can choose to let a few days pass and wait for the discomfort to subside.
However, if you can’t stand the pain, you can discuss with your orthodontist the possibility of taking pain medication.
Although you can access these analgesic medications on your own, we do not recommend that you take anything without the medication having been prescribed by the dentist.
If the discomfort is due to the brackets rubbing on the oral mucosa: we recommend buying orthodontic protective wax and applying it locally to the part of the appliance that is rubbing.
Another option is to apply wax from fang to fang during the first three nights after the brackets are placed.
Either way, you will protect the area and prevent sores and wounds.
Do braces hurt all the time?
Definitely not.
Once the patient passes their adaptation period, they can lead a completely normal life, in which they have already fully incorporated the brackets and hardly feel their presence.
Therefore, patients who wear braces only need to follow a couple of special recommendations:
Extreme oral hygiene.
Regarding oral hygiene at home, our advice is always to brush your teeth after every meal.
Keep in mind that this process must be thorough, since the presence of the appliance itself makes it difficult to access the teeth and gums.
If you neglect hygiene, you can suffer health problems in your mouth that lead to tooth decay or periodontal disease.
Be careful with certain foods
Braces do not excessively limit your diet, but there are certain foods that you should be careful with.
Avoid hard or sticky foods (kikos or certain nougats), as well as eating apples and snacks in bites.
All of these can cause the brackets to become detached.
Eating apples with braces
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APPLE
Is the removal of brackets painful?
No. Just as it doesn’t hurt to put them in, it doesn’t hurt to have them removed.
Despite this, some patients do report feeling a certain “shock” during the procedure.
This is merely due to the sensation you may get from the fact that a dentist is manipulating your teeth.
However, this process is very bearable and passes relatively quickly.
In fact, this is a time that patients want to pass especially quickly, since after several months of treatment they want to see their final smile.
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This is especially noticeable in the case of patients who wear traditional metal brackets or sapphire esthetic brackets, since with Incognito – since they go on the inside – it is possible to see the smile throughout the treatment.
Even so, the latter, like everyone else, are waiting for the end of their treatment.
For this reason, the removal of brackets is the moment that all patients look forward to as soon as they are fitted with orthodontics.
If you need our doctors to assess the state of your oral health, don’t let it pass you by and make an appointment.
Call us at +1 619 372 5409 🇺🇸 +52 664 590 8321 🇲🇽 , or use the contact form on our website, and ask for your first free appointment.
We will give you a complete diagnosis and an estimate without obligation.
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Bibliographic references
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- Bayan, L., Koulivand, PH and Gorji, A. (2014). Garlic: a review of possible therapeutic effects. Avicenna journal of phytomedicine , 4 (1), 1-14. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4103721/
- Taher, YA, Samud, AM, El-Taher, FE, ben-Hussin, G., Elmezogi, JS, Al-Mehdawi, BF and Salem, HA (2015). Experimental evaluation of anti-inflammatory, antinociceptive and antipyretic activities of clove oil in mice. The Libyan journal of medicine , 10 , 28685. https://doi.org/10.3402/ljm.v10.28685 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4558274/
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