5 Tips for Alleviating the Pain of Dental Braces

If you’ve ever talked to someone who has had braces before, one thing that they will probably tell you is that while the end results makes the cost of the braces well worth it, if there’s one thing that is definitely no fun, it’s going through the process of first getting your braces put on your teeth and then having them tightened every few months. The reason why is because it tends to be pretty painful.

The good news is that there are some things that you can do in order to help alleviate the pain fairly quickly. So if someone you know is looking for tips or if you are planning to get some braces in the near future and you would like some surefire ways to feel as little discomfort as possible, we have five helpful recommendations for you below:

Eat soft stuff. A big part of the reason why your mouth feels so uncomfortable when you have braces on is because there is pressure that is being placed on them in order to realign them. Therefore, you don’t want to add to it by biting down on hard foods. So, for a day or two, opt for eating things like soup, ice cream, yogurt, bananas and oatmeal. Smoothies and shakes are also a nice addition as you’re trying to recover from your dental visit.

Keep some ice nearby. Another great remedy for dental brace pain is ice. You can place an ice pack onto your cheekbone or you can even suck on some ice cubes. If you decide to go with the latter option, just make sure that you do not attempt to bite down on the ice. Doing so could result in you breaking one of your braces’ brackets.

Take some over-the-counter medicine. Something else that you can do is take an over-the-counter pain killer like Tylenol or Advil. Do make sure before you do that you read the directions thoroughly so that you’ll only take what is specifically prescribed. Another type of medication that can be helpful is running some Orajel on your gums. It will numb the pain in your mouth for approximately 1-2 hours.

Rinse with some warm salt water. If you were to ask a dental office like Wilshire Family Dental about what you can do to make your mouth feel better, one thing that they might recommend is that you rinse your mouth out with a solution that is made of warm salt water. All you need to do is pour a ½ teaspoon of sea salt into a cup of warm water and rinse your mouth with it several times throughout the day. Over time, it should bring forth soothing relief.

Apply some lip balm. Now here’s a tip that you might not have ever considered but can actually prove to be pretty helpful. While you’re in the dentist chair, they are going to be stretching your mouth wide as they are putting on your braces and also tightening them up. When your lips are dry, it can lead to some tiny splits which can cause additional discomfort. So before lying back in the chair, applying some lip balm. It’s a little thing that can make a really big difference when you’re healing from dental pain.