I'll be getting my first detal checkup on the 11/11/06. Then an X-ray for my teeth. Afterwards it would time to get the spacers and the braces. Honestly i'm very scared of pain and i wanna know exactly what would happen for the first trip to the dentist when i'm going to get the spacers. Would the pain be so worse that i would probably end up just laying on bed all week? If yes, what is the best thing to do to reduce the pain???
2006-10-23 00:12:12 · 7 answers · asked by ling 1 in Health ➔ Dental
I am an Orthodontist and can probably help you with this question. Placing braces if fairly easy. The first step is to clean your teeth with a coarse material called pumice. The purpose is to clean your teeth. The next step is to etch and prime your teeth for bonding the brackets.
Spacers are placed between your teeth to make space for bands in the back teeth (i.e. Molars). While some Orthodontists use bands, I prefer not to. I generally put brackets on all teeth. It is really the perference of the Orthodontist rather than one being being better than the other. I prefer bonding because that is one less visit by my patients. While I never had spacers, some patients complain that spacers are the worst part of braces and feels like food caught between your teeth. No, you will not be laying the bed for a week but you will be slighlty discomfortable and you can take tyelnol for pain. It is more of a nusiance than any thing else. You can also do warm salt water rinses several times a day to relieve pressure and discomfort.
Bonding brackets is done in 2 ways. Majority of the orthodontist place the brackets directly on your teeth with blue and shine a blue light to make harden the glue. This is called direct bonding. The disadvantage with this technique, it takes long time and is hard to position the brackets just right.
Fewer Orthodontists (including myself) place brackets by Indirect bonding. In this technique the brackets are positioned on your models and transferred to a glue or plastic tray. Once your teeth are cleaned, cleaned, etched and primed, the entire tray is placed in your mouth and the glue is cured with blue light. This cuts down the placement time and also results in more precise bracket placement. Studies also show that Indirect bonding cuts down the total treatment time by 6 - 8 months. The disadvantage with this technique is that it is labor intensive and technique sensitive but once you do it couple of times, it's a piece of cake.
Once your brackets are placed, a very light wire called Nitinol is placed. And then you can walk out. Depending on your case and the kind of wire placed, you will be seen anywhere between 6-10 week intervals. During this appointments, they may place ties back on (if there is still crowding to be relieved) or change into stiffer stainless steel arch wires. Regarding the colors, in my office, it changes from season and holidays. Some people like clear but they stain easily; if you drink coffee, eat any thing with food color, mustard or smoke. A better option would be tooth colored ties. Some of my patients get a different color for each tooth but majority gets 2 or 3 colors. In addition, your Orthodontist should give you’re a color wheel to help you choose. After the braces and wires are placed, we give oral hygiene instructions and what foods to avoid. In addition there is a small bag which consists of a toothbrush, travel toothbrush, flow threader, proxa brush, wax and some other miscellaneous things. Hope that helps
2006-10-23 02:40:44 · answer #1 · answered by DDS, MS 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I've got a few ideas. :) I had braces for three years as a teenager. Important point number one: Make sure that you brush your teeth/floss/waterpick 2-3 times per day. Seriously! Your teeth will decay if you do not keep up on maintenance. Another item: I'm sure you were told this, but be sure to stay away from anything hard or terribly chewy (like candy, gum). Make sure not to drink any sodas with "Phosphoric Acid" (usually dark sodas -- coke, root beer, dr. pepper). The acid can corrode the cement holding your brackets on. Lastly, whenever you go in for an appointment, they are going to "tighten" your braces, which usually makes your mouth hurt for a day or two. Be prepared with IB Profun and soft foods, and the process will go much better. Do everything they tell you to, and you'll get your braces off in the shortest amount of time possible. Hope this helps!
2016-03-28 04:48:31 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Dont worry about pain. That is not to say that you wont have any. When you get spacers put in, it is rubber items that get stuck between the teeth. That doesn't hurt. It is when you get the braces on that the pain becomes more significant. Until you get toughened up in the mouth, the extra hardware will make the inside of your mouth sore. Wax is a wonderful treatment for this. You put wax on the spots that are sore and it doesn't hurt.
When you get your braces adjusted, you will be sore in the mouth for a couple of days. It isn't bad enough to take pain killers - just that you should eat softer foods.
2006-10-23 01:31:05 · answer #3 · answered by Buzz s 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Not to worry dear. You really can't say how much pain or how little pain you will be in. My son never experienced any pain with his spacers or braces. You never would've known he had them if you didn't see them. Some kids have minor pain, but Tylenol or Advil usually does the trick. Eating soft foods the first few days helps too. Grilled cheese, eggs, ice cream, pudding, jello etc....Good luck. Don't stress. Just think how beautiful your teeth will look
2006-10-23 00:17:13 · answer #4 · answered by BIZ Z 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
The pain is not that bad; it will hurt, but it's nothing like a toothache. You might ask the dentist for a prescription for a pain-killer like codeine - Tylenol 3 for instance - if that requires a prescription in your location. The pain doesn't last that long, and is definitely not incapacitating. It might seem like a lot to go through, but aside from the cosmetic benefits of straight teeth, your overall dental health will be much greater in the future. Best of luck!
2006-10-23 00:19:02 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
DDS MS explained it all. You'll have a short, uncomfortable adjustment period after the braces go on. Just hang in there; braces will become part of your everyday life. I'm an adult with braces that come off next Monday!
2006-10-23 04:18:22 · answer #6 · answered by Bowllynn 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
my daughter got braces a year ago.she's pretty whinny too...but she never has complained about them. the spacers go between your back teeth to make a space for the metal ring that will be going on. it feels like you have something caught between your teeth...not pain. good luck.
2006-10-23 00:19:51 · answer #7 · answered by snicker 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋