Do you have pain from braces but not from wire poking? Do you want to know how to reduce the pain? In some instances, you can relieve braces pain by yourself. But in other cases, only your doctor can reduce the pain and you have to see your doctor.
Before we start, let me tell you a very important fact. Teeth move faster if it does not hurt. Pain is our body’s protective response to heavy force. It is telling that the orthodontic force is too much.
Let’s think of days when your adult teeth came through the gum. They still need to move for a few months to contact opposing teeth. But did it hurt until upper and lower teeth fit together nicely? You may not even notice that your teeth were moving. That means teeth movement is not supposed to be uncomfortable.
Ideally, orthodontic treatment should be the same. Whether you have braces or Invisalign, it isn’t sore at all. But in reality, certain teeth can be subject to heavier force while others are not. For example, the same flexible NiTi wire can be gentle to the canine but can be heavy to the lateral incisor.
Whether you should see your orthodontist for braces pain or not depends on when you started to feel pain and how severe the pain is.
- Timing
If you felt pain within an hour since you got braces on or got it tightened, it means the orthodontic force is too strong. You can feel a little bit of pressure but it shouldn’t be painful or too tight. I ask my patients how they feel with new wires to make sure it is not too tight. If you feel more than a gentle pressure, you should talk to your orthodontist. Your doctor will change the wire or power chain to a softer one.
But if you were OK for a few hours and it starts to sore, that is normal and will get better soon.
- Intensity of the pain
If you feel considerable pain, you should talk to your orthodontist. Don’t wait for another couple of days. Teeth stop moving when you have severe pain. It actually delays treatment time. I will explain about this in another video.
Then how can you reduce braces pain by yourself?
#1. Chewing on plastic wafers or chewing gum can temporarily help. When a tooth is displaced by biting on the wafers, blood flow is temporarily relieved.
#2 Take over the counter pain reliever like Tylenol or Ibuprofen. If you’re wearing Invisalign, you can change new trays before you go to bed.