Do Braces Hurt?
The most common question I get besides, of course, the ever so common “When will I get my braces off” is “Do braces hurt?”
The Original Google Review
Every person has a slightly different pain tolerance, meaning braces actually feel differently to different people.
Some people do experience mild to moderate pain when they first get braces on while others only experience mild discomfort for a few hours. It is a bit of a mystery why there is such a wide variation of reactions, but this is true regarding pain in general. The reason we all feel pain a bit differently is complicated and not fully understood. The good news is braces rank low on the pain scale for almost everyone. Think about it… if braces were very painful do yo think so many people would be running around in braces? I doubt it!
For typical orthodontics you don’t need any sedation or numbing. That means NO needles and NO shots!
Let’s dive right in
Your First appointment should truly be pain free. For real.
Pain Free… because at your first appointment, a.k.a. your consult appointment, all we do is gather information! This information is used to design a custom treatment plan tailored to you. We capture photographs of your face and teeth, digital scans and x-rays of your jaws and teeth. Since we are not yet moving any teeth there is no discomfort. This is why the first appointment is guaranteed pain free.
Well then, you might be wondering about the next appointment, and the ones after that…
Let’s start with the bonding appointment, also known as that extra special day when you actually get your braces on. I hope you can rest assured in the knowledge that for most people the actual process of getting your braces on is not painful at all. For some people stretching and holding the cheeks and tongue away from the teeth while teeth get prepared for braces can be uncomfortable. We all have different cheek stretchiness levels. If you have not-so-stretchy cheeks this can be more uncomfortable. We have different sized mouth props and techniques to help. Some people express jaw fatigue and have difficulty opening their mouths for the amount of time needed to apply braces. This is not typical. Most people do not have any issues with this step, if you do, we can take breaks or even divide the bonding appointment into two appointments. Bonding the upper teeth only at the first appointment saving the bottom braces for the next time. Actually applying the brackets to the teeth has no discomfort at all.
It does not hurt teeth to have braces glued on!
It can be helpful to know what the parts of the braces are called!
There will be mild discomfort associated with tying the wires to your braces and in the following 24-48 hours.
Most people experience a peak of discomfort the morning after getting braces. This is simply because the teeth are starting to move. There can be discomfort associated with applying forces to move teeth through bone - which is exactly what braces (or Invisalign) is doing. This discomfort ranges from hardly noticeable to moderate. If you have anxiety about getting your braces on I recommend taking over the counter ibuprofen 30 minutes before your appointment. If you do feel discomfort you can continue this ibuprofen, following the instructions for use on the package, for the next 24-48 hours. This will not interfere with your braces. To be clear; I am not recommending anyone take ibuprofen for the entire time they are in braces, this is not necessary and could harm the lining of your stomach, but taking ibuprofen as needed to reduce discomfort is no problem unless you have an underlying medical issue, in which case you should consult your primary care physician before taking any medications.
What actually causes the discomfort from braces?
The short answer is moving teeth through bone can hurt! Teeth are the hardest material in the body. Bone is the second hardest material in the body. Moving teeth through bone naturally comes with a little discomfort. Remarkably the bone changes shape by removing bone in some areas and adding bone to other areas allowing teeth to move. This may sound like a painful process but remarkably it typically only causes mild discomfort. For a more detailed, full on nerdy deep dive into how these forces are applied and how the teeth move in response stay tuned for my upcoming blog post, “How Do Braces Work?”.
The reality is that there is some mild discomfort associated with moving teeth through bone. The good news is it gets better! Think of this analogy; the first time you go for a long run your legs are super sore. This soreness can last for days. If you keep running regularly, the next time you run the soreness will be a little less. Eventually there is only minor soreness if any at all after a long run. Your teeth are not used to being forced to move and your jaw bone is not used to being forced to reshape. Just like legs not used to running the teeth and jaws get sore. Since braces are glued to your teeth you don’t have the option to skip your tooth workout and your teeth get used to the braces.
The bottom line is the best way to know how braces are going to feel for you is to get braces. This may sound cheeky. I assure you that is not my intention. The simple truth is everyone experiences discomfort slightly differently. The best way to tell how your individual mouth will respond to braces is to pay attention to how your mouth initially feels the day you get braces on and the following days. If you are one of the unlucky few people who experience moderate discomfort and can only manage to eat soft foods when you first get your braces then you will likely experience similar moderate discomfort when you get them tightened.
The best way to know how braces are going to feel for you is to get braces! Everyone experiences it differently.
There are things you can do to reduce pain from braces!
Braces typically are the most uncomfortable the first 2 days! After you get through those first days it should be relatively smooth sailing to straight teeth.
There are things you can do to reduce discomfort.
Take over the counter pain medication 30 minutes before your appointment. Dr. Goforth recommends ibuprofen, following label instructions.
Eat cold foods or drink cold drinks. Cold temperatures actually changes the properties of the early orthodontic wires making them more flexible which temporarily reduces the force applied to the teeth. Reduction of forces temporarily reduces the discomfort. Cold also has a numbing effect that makes the mouth feel better. Ice cream always makes you feel better!
Promote blood flow. Chew within the first 30-45 minutes of getting braces on and each time you have them adjusted. Chewing compresses the teeth and promotes increased blood flow which promotes healing. For more information on this topic read my blog post “Unpopular opinion: Chewing Gum and Braces”.
Do braces hurt the inside of your cheek?
Similar to the varying degree of pain associated with braces moving teeth there is also a variation of individual experience regarding the soft tissue reaction to braces. Some people never experience any sores or injury to the mucosa (cheeks), others do to varying degrees. The cheeks are accustomed to trauma. The mouth constantly takes in air with all the irritants that come along with breathing, as well as the wide variety of foods and drinks consumed. Some of these damage the cheeks through texture or ingredients, think spicy foods. Cheeks are accustomed to resting on smooth tooth surfaces and can become irritated when brackets are placed. In an effort to reduce discomfort at GoForth and Smile Orthodontics I use low profile brackets that rest closely to the teeth. Cheeks and the inner lining of the lips quickly adapt to their new normal environment of braces similar to how fingers develop callouses when a person plays guitar. I recommend keeping orthodontic wax handy in the early days of your orthodontic journey. Orthodontic wax can be warmed between your fingers and placed around a dry bracket to temporarily smooth any roughness. If you do need orthodontic wax due to discomfort from braces, typically it only needs to be applied for a few days to weeks before the tissue adapts. It can be normal for one or two spots to take longer to adapt. Some people unfortunately develop ulcers or sores throughout braces. Typically these people also have a history of developing sores before orthodontics and will continue to develop sores in response to trauma after orthodontics. If you are one of these people keep wax handy. It is also recommended to eat a healthy balanced diet and take a multivitamin to promote healthy tissues and healing. If the sores are continuous it may become necessary to evaluate if there is an underlying medical concern that needs to be addressed by your general dentist or primary care physician.
Does it hurt to have braces removed?
Good news - It does not hurt to have the braces removed. Most patients are extremely nervous (excited, but nervous) to have braces removed. The fears I hear over and over again are, “I am afraid of how I will look without the braces.” and “I am afraid it is going to hurt.”. There is good news on both fronts.
With your new smile you will look awesome
It does not hurt to have brackets removed from teeth.
The glue used to adhere the braces to teeth is specially designed to have a fail point when certain forces are placed to the bracket. This is why brackets break when you eat certain foods or bite on something wrong, it is an element of their design to allow for easy removal without harming the teeth! In full transparency the glue is removed with a handpiece (dental tool with a motor) that blows cold air. If you have sensitive teeth this cold air can be quite uncomfortable, I am speaking from experience here. As the braces are being removed if you do begin to feel sensitivity, most commonly on the lower front teeth, simply say something and we can take breaks to reduce the sensitivity.
Main take away
There is no easy answer to the question, Do Braces Hurt?
It depends on the person
Typically there is little to no discomfort
The mouth adapts quickly
