24 and new to braces! ....And advice.

[thubird]

Hey guys!

I am new to this forum and prior to my treatment I did a lot of googling and this forum seems to be the most informative :)

I am 24 and JUST started to get my braces now. I was meant to get them in highschool and I almost went through the treatment but due to cash flow issues my parents pulled out :( Now I am 24, working full time and just had them put on yesterday (mind you, after 4 tooth extractions...ouch)

Anyway, any advice on when my mouth will get use to the feeling of this foreign metal? >.< I'm already developing ulcers and its DAY 2. Struggling to eat even soft foods. Also, how soon do people start to notice teeth shifting?

Thanks guys ~~~

[Tyrantblade]

The pain should ease up in a lot in a few days and be mostly gone in a week, just eat what you are comfortable eating (probably something you don't have to chew) and then work up to regular food .

You should be used to the braces on a few weeks.

[djspeece]

Congratulations on making the move. Everyone's experience is different of course. Detecting movement can be elusive because they are glacial in nature; I really didn't see much movement (I didn't have a lot of dramatic cosmetic issues) but could tell that my teeth were lining up better on my arches (using my tongue) and my bite was changing -- not always for the better -- part of the charm of orthodontics. Use dental wax liberally on friction points. You can ask your ortho, but I have found ibuprofen best for managing pain (there is a biochemical reason behind this) and don't suffer. I was known to take it before a meal just to reduce discomfort. You'll become more accustomed to the "discomfort" of braces with time, and that familiarity will reduce anxiety and the perception of pain. I'm not saying it will be a walk in the park, but it will get better as your teeth shift after an adjustment or addition of elastics or powerchains over a period of a few days. Many recommend taking ibuprofen before an ortho appointment. I had elastics and powerchains, and while they were annoying I would not say they were that painful after a few days. But the perception of pain is very individual and depends a lot on psychological as well as physiological issues. I had braces for 3 years, been debraced for over a year, and come here to offer encouragement and assure you that you will get through this and that it will be worth it. Best of luck to you!

[Catpotat]

Hi thubird! I'm 24 as well, had 4 extractions, and a few months into braces
The struggle is real at the beginning; it can take up to 2 weeks to get fully used to it. I noticed my teeth move within the first 24 hours, but that depends on various factors.

Some random tips I learned to reduce pain were to:
not speak too much,
avoid tomato soup or anything hot and/or acidic,
drink lots of milk,
take small bites at a time,
use wax consistently until ulcers heal (especially before sleep),
get the wire trimmed if it pokes you,
try a gentler flavoured toothpaste (strong mint stings! bubblegum mint is amazing),
and avoid getting hangry by eating regularly - this is where a lot of misery can occur because you're forced into a liquid/soft food diet suddenly.

I hope this helped and best of luck with your braces!

[thubird]

Thanks for your responses everyone! I've been taking ibuprofen and the pain has subsided at day 3. I woke up on day 2 and didn't even get out of bed! T__T Anyway, I've been using the wax and it definitely helps with the ulcers I never understood people who say they don't work or don't stick on! In fact sometimes it's hard to get off cause it melts over the brackets haha. Christmas is coming up so hopefully I can still eat xmas lunch....even if I have to cut it up T___T

[Beckett]

You must have the good silicone wax? I was given several styles, including some that was literally like white candle wax. Yuck! My favorite is the Orthosil, so smooth and easy to get on and off. A bit trickier over a power chain but I've made it work. I sleep with it on my two back most brackets because I'm a side sleeper and I'd wake up with really sore cheeks with dents that would quitkcly turn raw if I didn't use the wax.

[thubird]

Hopefully when I get full user privileges I can post a pic of my teeth and let u guys give me some opinions on what you think my final result would look like! I'm currently a bit self conscious on my 2 front teeth >.<

[JanineJanine]

Hi! I hope your pain is subsiding. The first 5 days were the hardest for me and it got easier after that.

I also had 4 extractions and I've now been braced for one month. I had my first tightening 2 days ago so my front teeth are pretty tender again but it's already easing. I still have to cut up all food quite small and eat with my back teeth only, but I can eat most things. I didn't get on with wax but after a couple of weeks my cheeks and gums had hardened up and they don't get sore any more.

In terms of movement, I started noticing a difference I could feel with my tongue after about 2 weeks and I can see significant changes after 4 weeks.

[thubird]

[quote="JanineJanine"]Hi! I hope your pain is subsiding. The first 5 days were the hardest for me and it got easier after that.

I also had 4 extractions and I've now been braced for one month. I had my first tightening 2 days ago so my front teeth are pretty tender again but it's already easing. I still have to cut up all food quite small and eat with my back teeth only, but I can eat most things. I didn't get on with wax but after a couple of weeks my cheeks and gums had hardened up and they don't get sore any more.

In terms of movement, I started noticing a difference I could feel with my tongue after about 2 weeks and I can see significant changes after 4 weeks.[/quote]


Wow! Congrats! Thanks for your response I'm so eager to see movement I keep staring at my teeth in the mirror constantly. Crazy right? Haha maybe I'll check back again in 3 weeks.

[ItsNever2Late]

It took 3 weeks for my mouth to actually feel like my 'new' mouth again. 2 weeks was dealing with the teeth pain. I had canker sores since day 2 of braces and dealt with them for 3+ weeks. Granted it was because I knew I couldn't wear wax for the next 15 months every single day. So I would remove wax for a while to let my mouth adjust. Of course that means I allowed my mouth to get beat up but I can now go 3-4 days without wax and even when I do need some it's only 1-2 areas compared to 11.

So my tips to new braces wearers:

1- For canker sores try a home remedy with Alum powder. Saved my sanity on several occasions. It actually dries out the sore which allows it to heal pretty much overnight. It's found on the spice/seasoning aisle in most grocery stores. I just put some on a wet cotton ball place it on the sore and let it sit for 2 mins. It gives me almost instant relief and by the next day I have no pain.
2- Allow your mouth time to adjust to the friction. Don't go cold turkey from the wax just free an area every once in a while.
3- All wax aren't created equal. Try out several different kinds. I hated silicon wax and loved the wax from my ortho but it would break up constantly which I didn't think anything of at first. It was the first wax I ever tried after all. I love dentek wax which I found a Walmart and one application last me nearly an entire day.
4- Buy a waterpik if you don't have one. It was a pain reliever as well as great flosser. I actually found that blasting it on my gums those initial days of bracing and after an wire change not only massaged my gums but increased blood flow to the area and promoted "recovery". I've had it for years when I first tried Invisalign but never used it. Now I don't know where I would be without it.
5- Take a pain reliever 1-2 hours before an adjustment/wire change. Your mouth will thank you later.

I think I wrote a book for you but if you have any questions let me know.