One of the most common questions kid (or even adults) ask when they want to start orthodontic treatment is “Do braces hurt” or ” How bad is it going to hurt”. Most people have either heard some scary stories from their friends or watched something on Youtube. Today, Dr Sepi at iSmile Orthodontics is going to break it down for you and explain exactly how much braces hurt.
If you are starting braces…….
First day of braces
- Your teeth will start getting sore after a few hours. We recommend that patients have a good lunch or breakfast right before they start treatment. The discomfort you feel with braces will feel different from a normal headache or pain. You will feel like your teeth are weak or you cannot bite on them very well.
- The discomfort and soreness continues for 2-3 days and it will fade away after that.
- The first 2-3 days of braces is probably the biggest and worst discomfort you will feel during your whole treatment time.
- If the discomfort is beyond your tolerance level, it is perfectly fine to take a pain medication. Most of the times, the discomfort is not severe enough, therefore, most patients do not need to take any medication.
- It is best to stay on a soft diet for the first few days with braces. As I mentioned before, your teeth will feel weak and it feels like you cannot bite as forcefully as before. It is only because your teeth have started moving. But during that time, being on a soft diet really helps. Noodles, yogurt, ice cream are some of the things that will really help.
Next appointment
- None of your subsequent appointments will make your teeth as sore as the first one.
- After each adjustment appointment, your teeth might get sore for a few hours starting a day after your appointment.
- The soreness is much less than the first appointment and goes away much faster.
- If your oral hygiene is good, the discomfort and soreness will be less.
If you are starting with clear aligners or Invisalign…….
- Most patients do not feel any discomfort, even during the first day.
- Every few aligners, you might feel discomfort on one or more teeth which lasts for only a few hours and usually goes away very quickly.
- If you do not feel any discomfort, it does not mean your teeth are not moving. The rate of tooth movement is controlled so precisely that little discomfort is experienced.
- If you feel more discomfort with one aligner, it does not mean that your teeth are moving more with that aligner. Each aligner moves one or more of your teeth a certain amount, even if it does not hurt.
Schedule your firs free exam with us! Either Invisalign, aligners or braces, our office will choose the right treatment for you based on your need and your preferences. At iSmile Orthodontics in Redmond, we offer treatment for patients from Woodinville, Kirkland and Bellevue.