Metal Mouth Message Board

ok , really it is ok

it gets better honest

although we wonder at the beginning just HOW it can with these HUUUUUUUUUUGE things in our mouths.

but before long I am sure you will be like by far the majority of us and hardly notice unless you have just had an adjustment ..... or will have alittle bit of a moan and alter eating when teeth are feeling tender.

wax at the moment is your best friend and ally ..... the power that little blob of white stuff has is amaaaaazing......... just knead it with your fingers, try and dry the braces around where you want it to go ( alhtough I find its not really necessary )and just mould it till its ok and smooth. Your cheeks WILL get used to it after a while and you will then usually only need to wax when teeth have altered position.

I havent bunged up a plughole yet .... but do tend to put it in the bin rather than down the sink

sometimes it stays on only till I eat ....but then again depends on whats being eaten and it can stay on all day

if desperate maybe reuse but i prefer to just dump it if it comes off.


remeber .... it WILL get better ........ otherwise none of us would get the bite / teeth we need / want

oh and I am 52

Sorry to hear you are in so much pain. When I first got my braces I was shocked about how much pain I was in. I thought I would never be able to eat again. I promise you it gets better. At the stage you're at now it is hard to believe that but it will happen.

Try chewing through the pain. It increases blood flow and will help the pain ease faster.

As for the wax, I am not a big fan. I only use the wax for pokey wires. I think it's more fuss than its worth
BUT...
* I wouldn't re-use it unless I was running very low
* I would not send it down the sink
* Yeap, sounds right
* You can leave it on meal to meal. I change it once it starts to disintegrate

Try to ease yourself off the wax. You have to toughen your mouth up or you will never get used to the braces.

Good Luck

Hang in there I second and third what's been said already---and being only 16days braced I really feel for you, just went through it.........getting much better---7days is a dream, 14 is even better--hang in there!!!

Oh Dave,

I am so sorry for you, but Ken is right, it does sound like something more than just "getting used to them"

it sounds like an allergic reaction to something??

keep us updated, good luck!

Don;t worry... I lost 5lb in 5 days.... beleive me by day 7/8 you'll fel a whole lot better. I'm a day 14 and it feel sooooo much better. I don't notice the braces at muc, my lips aren't torn to shreds anymore, I can eat other things than mash and soup....
yeah, my teeth ar wobbly and feel a little weird, but the pain has gone ...

hang on in there...

Dave, my case is similar, I'm 30 and I couldn't eat anything but soup and advil or ibprophen. Sleep is my best friend for pain! It gets better my teeth don't hurt except for the adjustments now!

Yikes! Yes, I agree, this sounds more serious then normal. Let us know what the doc says.

Okay, so the 'burning' sensation you're describing DEFINITELY sounds like an allergic reaction to SOMETHING. I'm not sure how long you've had these on, but could it be you have an allergy to latex and your mouth is still reacting from that? Or, it could be the nickel, as suggested. Either way, CALL THE ORTHO ASAP and they'll get you in. There is NO REASON for pain. Discomfort, yes; pain, NO!!!

As for what someone else said about not using the wax because you need to 'toughen up' your cheeks - this is wrong. Using the wax will ease the irritation from the bracket and help that area (or, in your case, those areaS) to heal, and just having that little bit of wax is enough to help your cheeks toughen up. Again, I will repeat - there is NEVER, EVER any reason to be in PAIN from braces.

Also, try rinsing with Colgate's Peroxyl or some other similar mouthwash that has peroxide in it. It will help your mouth heal much more quickly. The salt water rinse is also a great idea. Another thing I wanted to mention is something I've advised to others and still use (in fact, it's in my mouth now), and it's great -- Comfort Cover (http://www.dentakit.com/cocoforbr.html or for ceramic brackets: http://www.dentakit.com/brcoforcebr.html) This thing is fabulous because you put it across all your brackets at once and you don't have to worry about molding it (like the wax) or worry about it coming off, shifting, etc. Also, it's reusable...the only thing I wouldn't advise is eating with it in, as it gets full of the food. BUT, eating with wax in is not only FINE, it's ADVISED...since this is when so much movement is happening in your mouth that can cause friction between the brackets and your cheeks/lips/tongue. It is safe to swallow wax, so don't worry about that, either.

Another thing I would suggest is seriously limiting yourself to a soft foods (or even liquid)-only diet. There is a forum on here about soft foods...viewtopic.php?t=20312.

Lastly, good luck and hang in there!!! And please, please, PLEASE give your ortho a call! If you NEED TO have the brackets taken off because of the pain, DO IT!! However, if there is any easing of the burning and/or pain, try to 'suffer' through it. And, I know you've said you've taken ibuprofen, but what about trying to get a prescription from your doctor for either a stronger dose of it or even one with codeine? And, have you tried taking, say 4 tablets/caplets?

Please keep us posted!! We're rooting for you.

Hey Dave...just wondering how everything went? I hope some (if not all) things have been resolved!!?! Please keep us posted!

Hi Dave

In answer to your question - not sure whether you can get irretated by wax, but maybe try a different type of wax. Sound silly, but I have a silicone type wax now, which is completely different than the furst sort of 'wax'-wax that I had. (only thing is your teeth have to be dry to get it to stick but it works well). Not sure what type you've been using. I thought all waxes wouls be the same, but on getting a replacement for the first lot that I lost, I found that they can be very different. It's worth a try anyway....

Speaking of saliva, I'm getting on to 2 months in and I'll still wake up and have been drooling.

I agree with the other person, it probably a very oversensitive mouth! It happens!

dave,
I still get that dry mouth thing too, almost every morning I have a bracket imprint on the inside of my lips and they are stuck--so gross!!!!

But on a lighter note--I did some research on alternative ways to heal up the mouth---just the raw areas, not canker sores---I have been taking DGL Licorice--I could only find a chewable tablet at the health food store--I chew it up (quite a task on some days)--then swish it around my mouth---2-3x/day---I really do feel better, it comes in a powder form for swishing and spitting but I couldn't find it---and you need the DGL version..........also the tannin in tea (black I think) is also a sore healer-----I drink many, many cups of hot tea, the best was the tea at a japanese restaurant--I drank 3 cups and never felt so good!! There have been nights where I moisten and suck on a tea bag for relief. If you google both of these you will find some information!

I hope this helps and you find relief--both continue to work on a regualr basis for me!

Christine

dave,
I still get that dry mouth thing too, almost every morning I have a bracket imprint on the inside of my lips and they are stuck--so gross!!!!

But on a lighter note--I did some research on alternative ways to heal up the mouth---just the raw areas, not canker sores---I have been taking DGL Licorice--I could only find a chewable tablet at the health food store--I chew it up (quite a task on some days)--then swish it around my mouth---2-3x/day---I really do feel better, it comes in a powder form for swishing and spitting but I couldn't find it---and you need the DGL version..........also the tannin in tea (black I think) is also a sore healer-----I drink many, many cups of hot tea, the best was the tea at a japanese restaurant--I drank 3 cups and never felt so good!! There have been nights where I moisten and suck on a tea bag for relief. If you google both of these you will find some information!

I hope this helps and you find relief--both continue to work on a regualr basis for me!

Christine