Are you feeling a little sore after getting your braces tightened? There is nothing to worry about because this shows that your teeth are actively shifting towards their new positions, and your treatment is working.
Going with Braces Tightening can be painful to anyone, but multiple methods can help you to ease your pain. Let’s get started and look at the best ways to help you reduce your pain after getting your braces tightened.
Why Tightening Braces Hurt?
While you are going through orthodontic treatment, your teeth actively keep switching their position, leading to discomfort in the blood flow and pain in your mouth. Usually, new patients feel pain while getting their braces tightened, and most of them stop feeling it after six months of their treatment.
What Can You Do To Minimize Discomfort?
1. Take an over the counter painkiller or anti-inflammatory
You must check with your doctor before doing this; however, taking painkillers can help you to reduce the pain caused by tightening your braces significantly. You can take the painkillers an hour before entering the dentist for your treatment or after the treatment is done.
Most commonly used painkillers include acetaminophen (Tylenol), ibuprofen (Advil), and aspirin. Make sure you check the dosage guidelines because overdosing on it can cause harm to your body.
2. Use an oral anesthetic to reduce discomfort.
Oral anesthetics come in a gel form, and you can quickly grab them from your nearby pharmacies since they are available widely. Oragel and Anbesol are some of the most used products in this category. Using Oral Anesthetics can help you to heal your pain because they numb any area it comes in contact with, so your teeth and gum won’t feel any pain.
3. Apply cold to your face and teeth to reduce pain and swelling.
Using an ice pack on your face and teeth can help you to ease your pain. This is a widely used method, and usually, the results can be seen in an hour after applying an icepack to your face.
It is recommended that you take a rest and avoid eating warm food immediately once you’ve used the ice pack to heal your pain.
4. Eat soft foods
Eating soft foods allows you to put less stress on your teeth and hence a lot of dentists recommend eating soft foods after getting your treatment done. Common soft foods include yogurt, soups, smoothies, pudding, and baked or mashed potatoes. Ensure that you follow a soft food diet for at least 3 to 4 days.
5. Stimulate Blood Flow In Your Gums
When you have pain in your teeth, it can be hard to chew anything; Chewing helps you stimulate blood flow in your gums, and hence we recommend that you chew a piece of sugarless chewing gum or use a bite wafer to ensure the blood flow remains constant.
6. Drink Ice Water
Drinking icy chilled water after getting your treatment done can help you feel relaxed, but it will also help cleanse your teeth and braces. The cool liquid will help you to sore areas in your mouth, leading to less pain, and hence drinking ice water is recommended when you are going through pain after tightening your braces.
When To Contact Your Dentist?
It usually takes several days before patients start feeling relieved from their braces tightening; however, if you think you have an injury or swelling, it is recommended to contact your dentist immediately.
Conclusion:
Most likely, you’re going to go through some discomfort throughout your orthodontic treatment; however, it’s natural and happens with everyone. In the end, the entire process will be more than worth the temporary sensitivity, and meanwhile, you can use the above methods to ease your pain.
