How long do teeth hurt after getting braces?

Many people who dream of straight teeth and a beautiful smile are deterred from installing braces by the fear that after such a procedure and while wearing an orthodontic structure, their teeth will hurt and ache. Whether teeth can hurt after installing braces and for how long, we will tell you in this article.

How can a patient feel after having braces installed?

How painful the sensations will be in the first days after the start of orthodontic treatment largely depends on the individual characteristics of the patient. Some may experience only mild discomfort from the device in the mouth, while for others, on the contrary, the pain can be so severe that it prevents them from falling asleep.

What a patient may encounter after installing braces:

Burning sensation in the gums
. This is due to the fact that the tooth, changing its position, slightly injures the soft tissues. It's similar to when a tooth breaks through the gum. Everyone has experienced this feeling at some point.
Pressure on teeth
. Usually it does not cause severe discomfort and the patient gets used to this effect. At first the pressure is stronger, gradually it subsides and intensifies again when the arc changes.
Read also: Listerine is a reliable ally in oral care
Sharp sharp pain
. This can occur if you put too much pressure on a tooth that has braces installed on it. Such exposure usually causes cheekbones to tighten and tears to appear in the eyes. But such pain goes away immediately if you stop putting pressure on the tooth.
Mild pain of unknown origin
. It usually appears in the first day after installing braces and can last for a long period. It most likely occurs due to fatigue in the oral cavity due to the pressure exerted by the orthodontic apparatus.
Unpleasant sensations on the inside of the cheek
. This is due to the fact that braces rub against mucous membranes and can scratch them.

Again, experiencing some discomfort and pain immediately after installing braces is normal from the point of view of orthodontists. But it is abnormal and unnatural from the point of view of any realistically thinking patient. But in this case, there is no choice, and if the pain is severe and does not subside, then, most likely, the braces are installed either incorrectly and you should urgently consult a doctor, or you need to be patient (but also consult your doctor first).

Types of braces systems and their installation

Depending on the degree of complexity of correcting existing defects and the planned time for the patient to wear braces, the doctor suggests two main types of their design:

Removable bracket system

It is recommended to remove it before eating and while brushing your teeth.

Fixed system

The system is not removed for the entire duration of treatment. While wearing it, the doctor regularly makes certain adjustments.

None of the patients complained that their teeth hurt from braces when they were installed. Although such a procedure can last 1.5-2.0 hours. The painlessness of the operation is explained by the fact that the design of the braces during installation comes into direct contact with the tooth enamel, which has no nerve endings and simply does not feel pain.

The above installation times are averages. The duration of the operation depends on the following:

doctor's qualifications and practical experience.
individual characteristics of the patient’s teeth and jaw.

Why pain in braces is “normal”

Painful sensations tell us that the tooth is being impacted. This is how it moves. This process involves both soft gum tissue and the bone base of the jaws.

And if soft tissues easily adapt to the new position of the tooth and heal quickly, then bone tissues cannot change so quickly and hurt longer.

It is important to understand that this pain is not associated with the destruction of the tooth, but with its movement to a new, even position.

Interaction with the iron ligature of braces can also cause small ulcers in the mouth that irritate. Such irritation and even damage to the mucous membranes is caused by the metal parts of the brace system. These wounds go away quite quickly after the oral cavity adapts to the device. But they may not pass, as for example in this case:

We can say that the mucous membrane adapts to such external effects of metal. As they say, everyone has to get used to and come to terms with the fact that now they will have to wear braces on their teeth for a year or two.

Sections we recommend

In these sections you will find more information about why teeth hurt after getting braces:

Orthodontist consultation
Installation of lingual braces
Fixation of non-ligature braces

References for the article:

Kutsevlyak V.I. et al. “Orthodontics” // Textbook. — Kharkov: “SIM”, 2013
Bandura E. A. et al. “General and local influence of brace systems” // Materials of the All-Russian youth scientific school-conference “Practical Biophysics-2015”.

Author of the article: Victoria Igorevna Nikitina
Staff copywriter of the portal Stom-Firms.ru Author specializing in medical texts

How long will your teeth hurt after getting braces?

An eternal question that interests everyone without exception. At such moments, issues of weather, air temperature and sea water fade into the background. Because in the foreground is PAIN

. The duration of pain depends on the patient's sensitivity to pain. According to average statistics, all unpleasant sensations disappear within one to three days after installing the system.

If the patient has developed hypersensitivity and the pain lasts longer, then painkillers are prescribed.

Damage to the mucous membrane, after eliminating all problems, usually heals within one week or even earlier.

Reviews

Irina, 27 years old

I decided to get braces at the age of twenty-five. Although, since adolescence, I had a lot of complexes because of my crooked teeth. She smiled with her mouth closed. When talking, I also tried to slightly open my jaws. In general, I could not stand such constant self-control and went to the orthodontist. We installed sapphire braces. They are hardly noticeable on the teeth. After 15 months, which somehow went away on their own (I didn’t feel any pain at all, I just got tired of brushing my teeth as thoroughly as possible). Now my teeth are beautiful and straight. I still wear mouth guards at night to consolidate the results. I'm glad I decided to have this procedure.

Valentina, 23 years old

I have already regretted more than once that at the age of 15 I agreed to get braces. The problem with the bite was minor, but the doctor convinced me that after that my smile would be simply perfect, and I would shine with it all my life. I wore the designs for almost two years (I don’t understand why it took so long, because the defect was really minor). It was a time of torment. Constant squeezing of teeth, pain after each correction, brushing teeth for 15-20 minutes at a time. Despite the fact that I followed all the doctor’s recommendations, after removing the braces, the enamel on my teeth became very thin and my teeth became very sensitive. Now every month I go to the clinic to have my teeth coated with varnish so that they are not corroded by caries and to reduce sensitivity. It would be better if I walked around with my slightly incorrect bite. Now I have to suffer with damaged enamel for the rest of my life. So, before installing, think about whether you need it.

Alla, 37 years old

I got braces when I was 12 years old. I still remember how I sat in the dental chair with my mouth open for almost two hours. Although, apart from this inconvenience, I did not feel any pain. Only the facial muscles were tired and my neck was a little stiff. During the treatment, nothing hurt either. There were only unpleasant sensations after changing the arc. In general, I'm pleased with the result. Now I have straight teeth.

What will help you cope with pain?

If you follow all the doctor's recommendations and properly care for your teeth and braces, pain may not occur at all, only some discomfort.

If the pain does not go away, then it is worth checking how the braces are installed; perhaps some mistakes were made that only a doctor will correct.

What other recommendations might there be for patients experiencing pain in braces?

Dietary restrictions - switching to liquid and pureed foods. - How do you like this option?
Treatment of braces with dental wax.
Take painkillers only as prescribed by a doctor!

Diet restrictions

If you have braces, be prepared to change your diet and avoid foods that are hard, fibrous, or too hot or cold. Because this can break your braces, damage your teeth, or increase pain.

After installing the system, you should wait at least one hour before you can eat liquid or soft food. Soups, pureed porridge and even baby food are the basis of your diet during bite correction. And, by the way, you will have to brush your teeth very, very carefully, since food will constantly get stuck there, forming plaque:

Special wax

In pharmacies you can buy orthodontic wax, which is applied to braces and helps reduce pain from friction and pressure of the device on the mucous membranes and teeth.

Taking painkillers

Any medications, even the seemingly safest ones, should be used only after consultation with a specialist and after carefully reading the instructions, contraindications and side effects of these medications. By mindlessly taking any medications, you can only seriously harm yourself, always remember this!

For irritation of the mucous membrane, rinsing with chamomile decoction helps a lot. Of course, with one “but” - if you are not allergic to it.

CONCLUSION

: In case of any incomprehensible sensations, we recommend that you contact your doctor so as not to miss serious points during treatment.

We still have one important question, which we promised to answer at the very beginning of the article, here it is:

Hygiene features

If you have braces, be prepared to practice your oral hygiene as thoroughly as possible. Normal daily cleaning twice a day is not enough in this case. After all, the system has many elements, between which pieces of food constantly get stuck, which can lead to the development of bacteria that cause caries.

To clean your teeth, you need to use a special brush and paste for braces. In addition, it is important to “make friends” with dental floss. In addition to floss, an irrigator can be used to clean the interdental spaces and spaces between braces and teeth. Its work is based on the action of a stream of water under pressure, which washes away all stuck particles.

Avoid biting into hard vegetables and fruits. It is recommended to cut them into pieces before eating. You should also refrain from eating sticky and stringy foods.

How can you avoid pain with braces?

ANSWER: Very simple - aligners. A - not braces. This should be your normal choice for correcting your bite. Aligners have long proven to everyone - both doctors and patients - that they have a huge number of advantages over braces.

And with aligners, you don’t need to be afraid of pain for the simple reason that there is NO pain there.