Some people may put off vital orthodontic treatment for fear of pain from wearing braces or Invisalign. Realistically, any mild discomfort or pain felt throughout the process of wearing braces or Invisalign is minimal compared to the benefits and healthier lifestyle as a result of proper orthodontic treatment.
Do Invisalign aligners hurt?
Invisalign also works by slowly moving your teeth into their proper positions with the use of brackets and elastics. The pain associated with Invisalign is even milder than the pain associated with traditional metal braces. They don’t have metal or wires attached to them, so that is less irritation for your mouth and gums. They have a much smoother surface. There will be an adjustment period to having the aligners on your teeth, and some people do report some pain from that.
Invisalign aligners have to be replaced periodically, because they work by slowly shifting your teeth into their proper positions. There can be some soreness after these initial placements. Over the counter medications, such as Advil or Tylenol should be helpful in alleviating this mild pain.
Do braces hurt?
The initial application of braces is virtually painless, however many patients experience some minor pain in the 1st few days after getting them attached. Adjusting to chewing with braces on your teeth may take some time, and it helps to eat soft foods for a few days, such as macaroni and cheese, and soup and yogurt.
Many patients report that the initial presence of braces in their mouths is more annoying than it is painful. It is a strange feeling at first, to have foreign hardware in your mouth. You may find that it takes some practice to speak properly with them. You might find that in the beginning it is difficult to stop playing with them with your tongue. These are mild annoyances that you’ll get used to in time. The pain associated with new braces is minimal though.
There may be some pain the first three or four days after the placement of braces. Your teeth are beginning the process of realigning, and it will take some time to adjust to having hardware in your mouth, in the form of wires and brackets. The pain shouldn’t be too intense however, and over the counter pain relievers and anti-inflammatories will help to alleviate your discomfort.
We’ll also coach you on how to apply wax to your braces, to create a smoother surface on the areas that come into contact with your mouth and gums. Salt water rinses also helps to minimize soreness and irritation. Any pain still remaining after these processes can usually be alleviated with over the counter medications such as Advil or Tylenol.
After five days or a week, you should be pretty used to your new braces. Eating will become less difficult or painful, and you will be able to go back to eating your normal foods. Chewy sticky candies, or extremely hard foods should still be avoided of course. Your soft diet of yogurt and soup will be coming to an end at this point. The pain will be almost, if not completely gone, and you will probably be pretty much used to your braces by now.
Adjustment Appointments
You will have periodic orthodontist appointments to have your braces adjusted. Your teeth are being slowly moved into proper positioning through the use of wires and elastics, and it takes proper adjustments and maintenance to keep the process in continuous motion.
There can be some discomfort or minor pain in the days following an adjustment, and it’s best to remember that it is temporary and that over the counter medications can be quite helpful.
If you’re looking at orthodontic treatment for you or your teenager, make an appointment to come into our office today! We serve patients across the Peninsula and South Bay areas with our 2 convenient locations in Los Altos and San Jose. Come see our newly built Los Altos practice!
