3 Week Torture of Pain

[bloodpython19]

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.

sam took wat i was gona say.but dont feel bad i got to get the seperaters today

[Boanerges]

I've never had braces Tiffany but I wanted to say I am sorry you are in pain and I hope you feel better soon

[the_Ryno]

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.

Yeah, lots of stuff will "stain" them, such as colored drinks like gatorade. Its easy to clean though, just brush them with a tooth brush to clean time. You also have to wear them for 22+hours a day. Every set of trays is for 2 weeks, so every two weeks you are in pain for a few hours, unless you do what I did and change them before you go to bed and take some good painkillers. That way when you wake up, your mouth is sore, but it isn't that intense pain. Your teeth are sensitive for a few days though, but I imagine thats the same with metal braces.


Oh and I forgot, the smell of the trays is horrible unless you clean them every day.

[tweets_4611]

The invisaline stuff won't fix nearly as much stuff as the actual braces will. That stuff is better for more minor adjustments, and anything requiring an expander isn't a minor adjustment.

I've have my braces for about a year now, and have one more year to go. You really do get used to them pretty quick. The first few appointments that you have where they adjust your braces you will probably be sore for a few days, but after a couple of appointments, the soreness only lasts for a day or so. It gets easier as you go.

Quick word of advice... do whatever the ortho tells you to do. If s/he says wear the elastics, wear them. I know so many people that just don't b/c they don't want to, but they don't get the same results they could, or it takes longer. My ortho has been so shocked my how my teeth have responded that he talked about sending my case to a teaching hospital, to show what can happen when things go properly. I'm 23, so it should have actually taken longer to get the results that I have than normal.

And sugar-free gum helps a lot... it takes some practice to keep it from getting stuck in the braces, but just brush every day and it won't cause any harm. Chew the gum after your appointment, or the next day... it will hurt like the devil, but by the time your done with that piece, most of the pain will be gone, and it won't be back until your next appointment. My ortho actually suggested it.

Good luck with it! Motrin/Advil/ibuprofen...they are all life savers, but use them sparingly so they still help by the time you are done!

[SGExotics]

i didnt read the other posts, so im not sure if someone mentions this, but after you get your braces taken off (which probably wont be for a while as you havent even gotten braces yet) Make sure you wear the retainer they give you!!! I had braces for about 2 years.. I got them off, and i had the straightest teeth out of everyone i kneww!!! Everyone would give me compliments on what a NICE smile i had, etc... But i never wore my retainer because i wanted to show off my perfect smile... Well.. When you dont wear your retainer your teeth shift... And mine did... I cant fit my retainer back on anymore to re-align them, so now i have to get braces put back on.. Smart me huh?
~Brandon

[abuja]

sam took wat i was gona say.but dont feel bad i got to get the seperaters today

Hahaha my bad!

[Kaorte]

I have had orthodontic stuff in and out of my mouth from age 7-17. I have had 3 or 4 palette expanders (top and bottom), bite planes, braces a few times. The whole shebang. You name it, I got it.

It sucked. I am glad its over with. It will go by quickly. Especially because you won't have to have nearly as much done to you as was done to me.

D:

[Elise.m]

Aw, Sorry Tiff! I wish I had gotten braces when I was your age, but my parents couldn't afford it. I've done all the dental stuff - fillings, root canals, crowns, surgery, wisdom teeth... Even had a root canal gone bad, and had to be sent to a specialist cuz the dr broke off a tool IN my root. Fun stuff.

My BF had braces for 8 years (Somewhere along that number, I can't remember for sure). His teeth were really messed up. He doesn't talk about it a whole lot, but I know if was in pain alot. He's got beautiful teeth, but they did shift back a little. I'm sure he didn't wear his retainer. Tsk tsk!

[Mitch21]

5 years of braces. I understand how much they suck.

[Mike Schultz]

Lucky me I was graced with perfect teeth Never had to deal with braces or any of that crap! Although I did have wisdom teeth pulled... that surprisingly didn';t hurt either. It was painful for about a week while the teeth were pushing into my jaw, but once they were out it was like a relief and I had very little pain at all.