One of the most commonly asked questions about braces is whether placing them causes any pain or discomfort. Actually, braces is not painful at all when they are applied to the teeth, so there is no reason to be anxious about on the day that the patient will put on the braces. However, most orthodontic patients experience some discomfort the first few days after their braces are put on, and right after the braces are tightened. After one week, the pain usually subsides and eventually the patient will get used to the braces.
Pain and discomfort are the frequent side effects of the orthodontic treatment. This could not be avoided because after all, the teeth are moving into their new positions and to achieve that shift, pressure or force must be applied on the teeth.
Pain is an unavoidable part of having braces and every orthodontic patient, unfortunately, has to cope with it. After all, as the saying goes: if there’s no pain, there’s no gain. Don’t fret, after your braces treatment is finished, you will have that nice smile and won’t regret having braces. However, you need to go through the ordeal first, so here’s some tips on how to reduce the discomfort from braces treatment.
- Eat frozen treats to temporarily numb the braces pain.
- Do gum massage to relax the gums.
- Use orthodontist wax if there’s any wire poking or to prevent the brackets form scraping your mouth
- If you really cannot endure the discomfort or pain, use common painkillers when necessary.
