Does anybody have tips for dealing with braces?

Question

Tips on everything-reducing pain, replacements for gum and caramel, etc.

Answer 1

I've had braces twice here's some useful stuff:

You'll be sore for a while I suggest Aleeve of Ibuprofen (Usually found in Tylenol)

Sugarless gum and regular gum has never stuck to my braces, just avoid bubble gum

You can suck on caramels and toosie rolls and the like no problem, just don't chew them.

Your toothbrushes are going to go bad sooner, so don't invest in $15 toothbrushes

DON'T use whitening toothpastes at all, otherwise when you get of your braces you'll have dark patches on your teeth

Keep a few toothpicks on you, nothing is more annoying than having something stuck in the back of your mouth all day

In all my experience, I have never lost a bracket to popcorn, just don't bite down on the unpopped seeds. (not that people usually to that)

Corn on the cob is feasible, but not pretty. Avoid it if you're somewhere nice or aren't going to be able to pick out your mouth anytime soon.

Bracket wax seems to love to fall off, so rub it on and smooth it onto the bracket ridges.

If you do any type of oral presentation be sure to articulate, otherwise your words will slur (I know it won't seem like it, but it happens)

And finally, after you get your braces adjusted, take a pain killer as soon as you leave so you won't be in pain . Trust me, your mouth will get sore.

Hope that helped, good luck!

Answer 2

I started eating a lot of hard candy (Jolly Ranchers, etc) and chewed sugar-free gum because it didn't seem to stick as bad. The only time I ever broke a bracket was actually eating a sandwich (I don't know how that happened). I had to have a palate expander, too, so I would take advil before each orthodontic appointment to help deal with the pain while I was there. Wax saved my inner cheeks from getting all scratched up. Good luck and just think of how nice your teeth will look! Oh, and always ALWAYS remember to wear your retainer (otherwise it's not worth going through the pain of braces)!

Answer 3

They should give you some wax at the orthodontist - put some on the brace when it is rubbing against your mouth and hurting.
Caramel, I would stay away from, but gum, for me, is perfectly fine. I haven't stopped chewing it, and my braces are just fine. Also, if you're eating corn on the cob, I would cut it off of the cob because a lot less gets stuck in your teeth. And, I have started using toothpicks after I brush my teeth since it's really hard to floss.
Good luck and I hope I've helped!

Answer 4

If you do take a pain killer, you can use some anbesol applied right to your gums to deaden the pain until the pain killer kicks in. Chloraseptic throat spray, sprayed on your gums also helps a bit.

It's just not a good idea to mess with sticky sweets when you have braces. Yes there's a chance they may not stick, but there's also a good chance they will and if they do, it may mean a trip to the orthodontist just to get it all out and I doubt you want that. Once the braces come off you can have anything you want.

Answer 5

yeah ie had braces for goin on 3 years now-
pain-
well ive come to figure out that pretty much nothing helps pill wise
motrin is thebest-
but sleep is preety much the only thing to get ur mind off the pian
soft foods become ur new best friend the first couple of days after u get somthing new or they adjust somthing
at first when they do somthing different u think "omg i cant live like this it will drive me insane"-within bout 3 hours it totally feels natural-
if somthing comes undone or loose call them to see if they want to bring u in and fix it or just wait for your next app.-
most of the time they just want to wait
sugarless gum can be chewed-
and they say not to eat-then they give you this long list of foods
basically dont eat laffy taffy or anything like that
brush brush brush and water picks works wonders also-
always always always check your teeth after u eat and before u go out in public-
u may THINNK theres nothing there but trust me-
theres things that u cantt feel
ummmmm thats about it off of the top of my head
e-mail me at [e-mail] if you need to know anything eles ill do my best!!!

Answer 6

For the pain....it will subside. If you put the wax (Walmart sells it) over your braces...you can eat popcorn, chew gum....just be careful...or you can try mints instead of gum. When you first get braces it will take some time to get used to them....afterward, it's like you don't have them on anymore...you get used to them. You can also get different color wire when you go to the dentist, that makes it fun.

Answer 7

They used to give me wax to cover the smart edges of the brackets. not much you can do for the ache after getting an adjustment - soft food - aspirn. It'll get better and you'll be so proud of your teeth when the braces are gone and see clearly what all your hard work was for.

Answer 8

It's best to suffer without the wax so you're mouth gets used to the braces faster. Use lots of mouthwash.

Answer 9

well, for me getting them tightened was the worst, but I found that immediately after they're tightened (like when you step out of the ortho office), if you eat something hard, the pain will subside greatly. Every time I got them tightened, I ate a granola bar, and it worked wonders.

Answer 10

You can still chew gum/caramel, I do, just be carefull..