[ANSWER] Are regular metal braces painful?

Worry about pain and discomfort from braces is the psychology of almost every customer before orthodontics. So are regular metal braces painful? Are metal braces painful? Let’s find out more details with My Auris through the following article. 

Are regular metal braces painful?

During the braces process, the doctor will apply force to move the teeth to creates pressure to change tooth position on the jaw. Therefore, the feeling of pain and soreness is inevitable. At the same time, due to the tension of the wires tightening together, the tooth roots move, also leading to unpleasant pain. 

However, pain only appears in the first few days before adapting to the appliance. After a few days the pain will quickly subside. Furthermore, the level of pain varies from person to person because it depends on each person’s pain tolerance threshold. For example, with the same level of pain, some people feel a lot of pain, some people feel little pain, or some people feel no pain at all. 

Regular metal braces use a set of traditional metal brackets fixed on the outside of the teeth. Then, the doctor will insert the wire into the grooves of the braces and secure it with elastic bands. Elastic bands come in many colors, depending on each person’s preference, whether they want to be colorful or simple. 

Are regular metal braces painful?  

In metal braces, there are not only regular braces but also automatic braces. This type of braces has been improved to overcome some of the shortcomings of regular metal braces, including pain relief. 

Automatic metal braces are designed with an automatic opening and closing system to help the archwire easily move and pull teeth without needing to be fixed by elastic bands. Thanks to these automatic locks, the friction of the wire is reduced, thereby reducing pain compared to regular metal braces. 

Therefore, if there is a need for metal braces to bring high efficiency, shorten orthodontic time and reduce pain, customers can choose automatic braces instead of regular braces. 

The most painful stages when wearing metal braces regular type 

According to orthodontists, the most painful stage of braces is the following 4 stages:

Separating between teeth to create space

Before preparing to attach braces, customers will have their teeth separated to create space between teeth. This helps the teeth easily move and return to the correct position when braces are applied. This stage has a lot of impact on the teeth, so customers will feel tense, uncomfortable, and even have difficulty eating and drinking after separation. However, this feeling will gradually decrease and disappear after braces. 

After attaching braces

Most of the first 1-2 weeks after installing braces, customers will feel pain because they are not used to the existence of the braces as well as the pulling force of the wire. At the same time, they have not adapted to eating or opening and closing their mouth affects oral and physical health and the pain will quickly subside after a few days. 

However, depending on each person’s condition, the level of pain at this stage will certainly be more painful. 

Teeth extraction to create space 

One of the painful stages when Braces and tooth extraction depend on the degree of misalignment and jaw arch of each person, and the doctor will prescribe which teeth to extract. During the extraction process, there will be no pain or discomfort due to the effect of the anesthetic. However, after the anesthetic wears off, the most pain after tooth extraction is 3 days and gradually subsides and disappears in about 5-6 days. 

Tightening the teeth period 

At each regular follow-up visit, the treating doctor will check the movement of the teeth and adjust the force from the wire. The wire will be tightened through each stage according to the treatment regimen to help the teeth move. Each time the tooth is tightened, it will cause pain for 1-2 days and the feeling will subside after a few dayschicken. 

In addition, there are some other causes of pain when using regular metal braces. Specifically as follows:

Pain caused by the jaw expander

The jaw expander is often placed in the palate to expand the dental arch. This helps the teeth increase the area so that the teeth are arranged evenly and in the correct position. Furthermore, it also helps avoid tooth extraction or tooth grinding to create space. 

However, the jaw expansion device is very bulky and cumbersome, so it will cause discomfort and pain when talking and pronouncing. 

Pain due to mouth sores 

This is a common cause of regular metal braces. Metal braces are often large and rough, so they easily rub against soft tissues such as lips, cheeks, tongue, etc. when chewing and cleaning. From there, sores and mouth ulcers form, causing a lot of pain. 

Pain due to rubbing, arch wire poking into cheek 

This level of pain is milder than the above cases and can be easily controlled with dental wax. 

Pain due to broken elastics 

Metal braces usually have elastic threads that fix the brackets and wires. During the process of eating and cleaning, these elastic fibers can break and shoot into teeth and soft tissues, causing pain and ulcers. 

Pain caused by inserting minivis 

Inserting minivis is also a support step in the braces process, helping the teeth move in the right direction. However, when the screw is inserted into the jaw bone, pain is unavoidable. 

Tips to effectively overcome pain when wearing regular metal braces

To reduce pain and be more comfortable when wearing metal braces, customers can apply some of the following methods:

Choose the right braces 

If you are sensitive and afraid of pain, you can choose other pain-relieving braces or you can choose transparent braces. If you still want to choose regular braces, you should have regular check-ups on schedule and change the elastics regularly to prevent the elastics from breaking.

Stick choicen suitable, reputable orthodontist

Doctor’s skill is also one of the factors that cause more or less pain during orthodontics. Reputable dentists with a team of good and experienced doctors will help adjust the appropriate force, helping teeth move to the correct position without harming tooth enamel and limiting pain. 

At the same time, reputable dentistry ensures successful and safe braces, minimizing unnecessary risks such as tooth root uprooting, infection, receding gums,… style=”width: 600px” class=”wp-caption aligncenter”>

Proper oral care when wearing regular metal braces

Braces will be fixed on the teeth during orthodontic treatment, so protecting Oral birth will be difficult and even painful. Therefore, when taking care of your teeth, you need to pay attention to doing it gently, properly and thoroughly:

• In the beginning, when you are not familiar with braces, you should choose a soft toothbrush of moderate size. When brushing your teeth, do it correctly and gently to avoid damaging your gums, loosening brackets, and breaking elastic bands. 
• Combined with the use of interdental brushes, dental floss, water flossers, etc. to clean plaque and food particles between teeth, deep positions in the jaw that are difficult to reach with a brush, as well as the lines of braces and wires. 
• Use salt water to gargle: Salt water not only has the effect of killing bacteria and cleaning the oral cavity, but also effectively fights inflammation and relieves pain, especially soft tissue ulcers. 

Diet when wearing metal braces type 

A proper diet will help the body get enough nutrients and significantly reduce pain when wearing braces. At the same time, it also ensures orthodontic effectiveness, preventing brackets from slipping and breakingelastic band. 

• In the early days when you are not used to braces or after each time you tighten your teeth, you should prioritize soft, liquid foods and limit large chewing forces. 
• When the pain subsides, you can eat and drink as usual. In particular, build a nutritious diet with a variety of foods to provide all groups of substances, especially vitamins and minerals, to help strengthen teeth. 
• However, braces are very difficult to clean, so to protect your teeth, you should avoid foods high in sugar, crumbs, foods high in acid and with high adhesion such as cakes, candy, chips, snacks, carbonated soft drinks, energy drinks, sticky rice cakes, marshmallows,…

Lifestyle while braces 

During the braces process, you still participate in daily activities as usual. However, in the early days of getting your braces tightened, you should take reasonable time to rest. At the same time, you should also apply cold compresses, use dental wax, massage gums, etc.

• Gum massage: You can use your fingers to gently rub on the gums to help the tissues relax, increase blood circulation and soothe pain.
• Cold compress: Place an ice or cold pack against the cheek corresponding to the location causing pain. The cold will soothe uncomfortable pain. 
• Use dental wax: When the braces rub against your mouth, you should use dental wax to cover the parts that may cause damage. This relieves pain and reduces soft tissue ulceration. 

Above are the information and answers about are metal braces painful, hopefully customers Customers have more useful knowledge. If you still have concerns, please contact My Auris Dental immediately for advice and to schedule an appointment as soon as possible. 

Anh Thy