I believe this question is the second-most frequent question that I hear every day…next to “When are my braces coming off?” Patients hear from friends and parents that braces really hurt. Most patients who are about to get their braces on are nervous about the pain.

Here is what a typical braces patient should experience relative to pain at Fry Orthodontic Specialists:

Day 1
Putting the braces on does not cause any pain!! When you walk out of the office after braces are placed you should be in no pain. If your braces are placed in the morning, lunch will take twice as long to eat. The good news is that this added time is not due to the pain, but it is due to getting used to having food get caught between the braces and your teeth…IT SHOULDN’T HURT! Dinner time will be the same, but you might start feeling a little sensitivity when you tap you teeth together. If your braces are placed in the afternoon, you might not feel this sensitivity until bedtime.

Day 2
The morning after your braces are placed is usually the most uncomfortable day of the entire braces process. The good news is that is shouldn’t be “killer pain” that wakes you up in the middle of the night or anything like that. You should plan on being on a soft diet for a couple of days. For more information about foods and braces, check out our video “Fry Orthodontics: Foods to Avoid with Braces.” http://www.fryorthodontics.com/media-link.html

Day 3-5
These days are when the discomfort should start to go away. Eating food will still feel different. I remember when I got braces in Jr. High. About a week after getting them on, I went out for pizza with some friends. My teeth didn’t hurt, but it was so weird trying to eat pizza for the first time with braces. Pizza is such a comfort-food, and I got really discouraged. I thought that I’d never be able to eat pizza the same again. I was totally wrong! After the newness of the feel of the braces wears off, usually a couple of weeks, you will be back to normal again.

Day Following an Orthodontic Adjustment
After you finally get used to the feel of braces and your teeth are not at all sore, you get to go back to see the orthodontist. Adjustments are made to your braces that will start the process all over again. The morning after your adjustments, you will again have some discomfort…but it should be nothing like Day 2.

Orthodontic Rubber Bands
Many of your friends will tell you that rubber bands are the worst part of braces, because they hurt so badly. Most people who tell you this, do not wear the rubber bands correctly. It is true that the day after you begin some rubber bands your teeth will be uncomfortable. You really have two options when this happens. 1) A lot of patients decide that their teeth are always a little sore after coming to the orthodontist, and they decide to not to wear their rubber bands for a couple of days…they let their teeth get back to normal. Then they put the rubber bands back in…What Happens?… The teeth start hurting again! Then the patients gets into the cycle of wearing them for a couple of days and then not wearing them for a couple of days…and nothing works and THEY ALWAYS HURT!! 2) The way to avoid this frustration is to just know that the teeth will be a little sore the day after rubber bands are started. FIGHT THROUGH IT for a couple of days. Then the pain goes away, and you can wear them forever without and pain!!

Fighting Off the Discomfort
I recommend taking over-the-counter pain medicine (Tylenol or Advil) prior to the braces being placed on Day 1. The goal is to get the medicine in your system prior to the pain. Make sure and following the instructions for the medication that you are using.
Chewing sugar-free gum is highly recommended as it can aid in the discomfort and also allow the teeth to move faster.
I hope this post helps in the looming question about the discomfort with braces. If you have any questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to contact me via the contact page.

Dr. Jeremy Fry

Tags: braces, Braces pain, Education, kansas city orthodontist, Orthodontic Pain, Orthodontic treatment, Orthodontics, patient care