After leaving your orthodontist's office with some new metalwork in your mouth, you wonder why you have such painful teeth. Braces discomfort is normal and expected, and will last only a little while. However, there are ways to alleviate it much faster. Let's look closer at why you may experience such pain and how to deal with it.

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Why do braces hurt?

Braces apply constant and mild pressure to your teeth thanks to brackets and wires. This pressure not only affects the teeth but also causes remodeling of the bones surrounding them. On one side of the tooth, bones break apart to create space for a tooth. However, on the other hand, bone will regrow in order to place the tooth in its new location. You have ligaments attached to your teeth, which will stretch when the tooth is moved. This process causes inflammation. Also, your cheeks, lips, and tongue get irritated by brackets and wires. Prefer a smoother option? Invisalign uses gentlerl pressure that many patients find easier to adjust to.

How much do braces actually hurt?

Not as much as you probably envision. It is not painful to get braces put on. The pain arises a few hours after that when the pressure begins to work. Patients describe the pain as a dull, achy feeling and not a sharp kind of pain and is very rarely painful enough to hinder their activities. According to the American Association of Orthodontists, the pain peaks between 24 and 48 hours after the placement and adjustment of the orthodontic device and slowly fades away after that.

How long will braces pain last?

Below is a guideline that you can plan on:

Day 1

No pain at first when putting on braces but after several hours you start feeling some soreness because your teeth have started responding to pressure.

Days 2-3

The next couple of days are the period when the pain becomes severe. You can feel some irritation in your cheeks and tongue because of the adjustment phase too.

Days 4-7

The pain decreases gradually. You can expect to feel alright after a week of getting braces.

Pain after each adjustment

Mild pain for one to three days.

It takes about one month for a person to adjust to braces, with treatment itself lasting approximately two years, according to Healthline; thus, this brief period is insignificant in comparison with the result. Between visits, Dental Monitoring lets our team track your progress remotely, so you don't need an office visit every time you have a question about soreness.

Does getting your braces tightened hurt?

Adjustments apply the pressure to your teeth, and therefore the slight soreness that results from them is absolutely expected. It will be less painful than the initial pain and will pass within several days. In case you use self-ligating or light force appliances, such as LightForce braces, you can expect a less intense pressure since it will be more gradual and precise.

How to get instant relief from braces pain?

There is no need to just endure it, these techniques will work thanks to orthodontists across the country:

• Take ibuprofen or acetaminophen before pain starts, not after it peaks.
• To ease the irritation in the gums and facilitate healing of the sore areas, gargle using salted warm water.
• To reduce swelling and numb the area, put a cold compress on the cheeks for 10-15 minutes.
• Use orthodontic wax to cover rubbing brackets and wires to avoid soreness due to irritation.
• Eat soft foods in the first few days following the placement of the braces, like mashed potatoes, yoghurt, smoothies and scrambled eggs; do not eat hard foods, crunchy foods and sour foods.
• Apply benzocaine gel to the sore areas.

When should you call your orthodontist instead of waiting it out?

Tenderness is common, but if you experience sharp, excruciating pain, or a pain that keeps getting worse, then it means you have to get something fixed. In case the pain prevents you from falling asleep, or your wire pokes into your cheek or your brackets get loose, you shouldn't wait, that usually indicates an orthodontist should adjust your teeth.

Is it painful when removing braces?

The removal process of the braces is not painful at all. It is not that painful for most people, actually, who find it less painful than having their braces fitted in the first place. In the process of removal of braces, you might experience some pressure in the area where the brackets are being pulled off.

Conclusion

Braces are painful because they function. You are going to experience a dull ache in your teeth due to the pressure of the braces and that will only last while the braces are being fitted, after adjustments and never otherwise.

In case you feel like your braces pain is strange, does not go away even after a week or you think there is a wire that has snapped, you need to contact your orthodontic team for a simple inquiry. New to Central Coast Orthodontics? Learn more about our practice or browse the blog for more smile care tips.