3 Week Torture of Pain

[2kdime]

Wait till you get the expander in

Then, you get to look forward to the scheduled adjustments they make, those feel good as well

[abuja]

Oh Tiff, I was in the same position about 6 months ago. The separators will hurt for about a week, then they'll stop and just be annoying.

Now the expander, I get mine off in February after getting it on in august. Several things:

1. FOOD. Get a WaterPik, it'll help so much with all the crap that gets stuck in your palatal expander. It is a lifesaver!!! And only bout 20 dollars. Also, watch for certain foods like lettuce, bacon, noodles, etc that get stuck for forever up there!

2. KEY. It's hard to first few turns, make sure your orthodontist lets one of your parents turn it AT THE ORTHODONTIST to make sure they know how.

3. PAIN. Separators, I'm sorry, are nothing compared to this contraption. You'll turn in for about 6-8 weeks once a day/night. The first 2 weeks, it'll hurt. It'll give you a headache for about 30 minutes after each time for a little while, so be prepared with advil or tylenol. Take a bath, it'll relax you.

4. STRANGE. It'll feel so weird in your mouth (out of context quote, i know) but you'll get used to feeling it and everything will become habitual and normal for you.

Several things on the braces:

1. PAIN. It'll hurt every time you get them adjusted. With your expander in, there will be NO WIRE on your top jaw for a few weeks/months, so that's good.

2. MOVEMENT. Expect SO MUCH movement in your lower teeth. Over the last 4 months, my bottom teeth are completely straight. They move FAST.

3. FOOD. Food will get stuck, believe me. Get a WaterPik.

4. CARE. What I do, and the ortho always says I'm doing wonderfully, is brush 2 times a day, morning and night, and WaterPik at night. Once a week, I floss, brush, WaterPik, and mouthwash: the whole shbang! It works for me.

5. FOOD 2. For the first 2 weeks your teeth are UNBELIEVABLY sensitive, so listen closely. Get yogurt, milk, cheese, thinly sliced meats, thin breads, etc. That'll be your diet for 2 weeks.

I hope my advice helped! Trust me, if I had known all this a few months ago, life would've been WAY easier.

EDIT: Look up pics and vids of the palatal expander. Helps to understand it A LOT.

[Darkice]

You just need to reprogram yourself. Its easy to brainwash yourself into thinking that the pain is good. And you will crave it. Put the expanders in and let it hurrt a while. Take them out and let the pain go away. Dwell on that pain like you miss it. Put them back in and relax, telling yourself that your glad they're back and you missed them. You need them. You love them. Drive small spikes in between your teeth because you love it. You need it.

[MattU]

I had them for two years when I was younger. They hurt but you'll be fine, you kinda get used to it after a while, just like anything else

[p3titexburial]

Yup, me too--those long long years of junior high, but everytime I smile at myself in the mirror, I'm reminded that no pain, no gain.

[orphan]

I had to wear braces for 3 years. The day that you get them off will feel like the best day of your life. Keep your eyes on the prize. I currently have a permanent retainer on my lower teeth in the front. I'm thinking about having that thing ripped out as well. It's been in for 15 years or so.

[matt71915]

I'm glad i don't need braces! lol sorry. I am getting my wisdom teeth in right now and they don't feel too great.

[redpython]

how come you aren't doing invisalign?

[accidental777]

I had braces for about 2 and a half years. It sucked, but at least my teeth are straight now. Just be glad that you didn't have to get teeth pulled or have to have orthodontic surgery to have impacted eye teeth exposed lol.
I haven't had braces for 3 years now, but my teeth are still very sensitive from all of the stuff they did......I don't ever want to see a dentist again.

[CoolioTiffany]

I had braces, But not the metal ones, they were InvisAlign or whatever. Only had them for about 15months, and changed them every two weeks. Those things hurt like crazy every time. And sadly i need them again because i never wore my retainer and my teeth are back to where they were, if not worse.

I hated the pain and all, but the end result was worth it. Well, would of been worth it had I not gotten lazy.

Yeah I'm going to for sure wear my retainer until I don't need it anymore because I'm not going back to the way my teeth are now.. They aren't that bad, just a little overcrowded because my top and lower jaw is more narrow, so all of my teeth can't fit in perfectly.. I guess this is why I need the expander.

I would go with the pain just to see the end result. I think I would get them off before my 16th birthday, so it would be nice to have perfectly straight teeth for my birthday

I don't think braces hurt that badly... I got mine off last September, and I had them for 13 months.

If you're in a lot of pain when they tighten them (put new bands on or switch the wire), you can tell them that you're sensitive to pain. They can slow down the correction and it won't hurt as much, though it'll take longer.

The end result is totally worth it.

Oh I bet it is worth it. I'll just take in whatever pain I have, there are pills for a reason +1 for Motrin

Just remember this famous quote from the Marines...

PAIN IS WEAKNESS LEAVING THE BODY.

Good luck, hang in there!

LOL I've seen that quote plenty of times, and I find it somewhat true with me.

Should be a monthly appointment with the ortho. They'll change your bands because they stretch and loosen over the month, so they replace them with tighter ones to keep your teeth moving.

Monthly isn't so bad, but I do hear every time you go in to get the braces tightened they hurt. I'm still wondering which hurts more... the spacers, the expander, the braces, tightening the braces, etc...

Wait till you get the expander in

Then, you get to look forward to the scheduled adjustments they make, those feel good as well

LOL, I'm ready for those!

You just need to reprogram yourself. Its easy to brainwash yourself into thinking that the pain is good. And you will crave it. Put the expanders in and let it hurrt a while. Take them out and let the pain go away. Dwell on that pain like you miss it. Put them back in and relax, telling yourself that your glad they're back and you missed them. You need them. You love them. Drive small spikes in between your teeth because you love it. You need it.

LOL I'm not that good of a brainwasher when it comes to pain, but I'll try LOL.

I had them for two years when I was younger. They hurt but you'll be fine, you kinda get used to it after a while, just like anything else

Yeah, I was hoping I would get used to them. Two friends of mine just got theirs on, and they already seem used to it.

Yup, me too--those long long years of junior high, but everytime I smile at myself in the mirror, I'm reminded that no pain, no gain.

Hey that's pretty true, without pain you never know when to push yourself, but I have no choice LOL

I had to wear braces for 3 years. The day that you get them off will feel like the best day of your life. Keep your eyes on the prize. I currently have a permanent retainer on my lower teeth in the front. I'm thinking about having that thing ripped out as well. It's been in for 15 years or so.

LOL I hear once you get them off and bite into something it feels really good, and when you get them off your teeth feel like slimey or something LOL.

My sister wears that bottom retainer, and my orthodontist said that I could get that and get a clear retainer for the top jaw, or just get the clear retainers for the top and bottom jaw.

I'm glad i don't need braces! lol sorry. I am getting my wisdom teeth in right now and they don't feel too great.

Lucky for you that may be the only pain you get. Get this, after I get the braces off, they are taking my wisdom teeth out.... why is everything so painful

how come you aren't doing invisalign?

It would be too hard for me to use them. I eat a lot of stuff that would stain them, and that 'lot of stuff' is delicious, so I can't miss out LOL, I hear invisalign hurts worse than the actual metal braces, and since I'm so sensitive to pain I don't think I can take it. I actually took a nap earlier because I didn't wanna go through the pain from my spacers LOL.