How utterly painful are braces?!
Question:
How utterly painful are braces?
I go to the ortho nxt wk
Answers:
There are three types of pain:
(1) The pain of getting the braces put on. This is actually relatively minimal, as you may feel pressure, but not really pain. Occasionally, the doctors may accidentally poke you with wires or tools, but this is relatively minimal.
(2) The pain after. This is the worst, but it generally comes on very slowly (especially overnight). Your gums may ache a little, especially the first days, but not a whole lot. You may have to eat soft food for a day or two. This pain may reoccur when you go in for readjustments (especially if you have something like headgear or rubber bands, and they "take you up a notch). The thing is that it's not inflicted all at once, and you get used to it (or perhaps even proud) -- sort of like being sore after a good workout.
(3) The pain from wearing the braces. This can be soreness from the braces or the metal rubbing against the inside of your cheeks, food getting caught, etc. I think this is the worst kind of pain because it's the most annoying (never seems to go away) and can actually cause a little bleeding. The good news is that there are ways to fix it, through the use of brace "wax", or the doctor can make some changes.
It's okay; it's worth it when you finish with a beautiful smile. And remember -- KEEP WEARING YOUR RETAINERS! They make a HUGE difference later on.