When I first got braces on, it felt weird. I could swore my lips were sticking WAY out and that I would have to force my lips around my braces to keep my mouth closed. All this was in my head, thank goodness. The orthodontist assistant working with me reassured me that my lips were not sticking out and that when the braces come off, it will feel as if my lips are too flat. As soon as I left with my new and shiny braces, I went to KFC to get some beautiful fried chicken and the best mashed potatoes. It felt very strange eating with braces on. It was as if I was chewing with someone else's mouth. It didn't help that the orthodontist put a material he called a "build-up" on my bottom molars to keep my teeth from closing down on the brackets. All and all, it was a weird feeling. I'm not going to lie... the pain was excruciating and I consider myself to have an above average pain threshold. The pain began about 4 hours after the braces were put on and peaked at day 3. Those three days, I barely slept because it felt as if my entire mouth was pulsating with pain. It hurt to eat even soft foods such as pasta and boiled potatoes. I was worried that this is what I would be enduring over the next two years. On top of all that, I had several canker sores in my mouth that hurt every time I moved my mouth. I used this product every 30 minutes to numb the pain and provide some relief. Pain after first getting braces: 9/10 Thankfully, the pain began to decline after 3 days and completely disappeared on day 5. It felt like a miracle! I was able to eat completely normal again and there was no pain when chewing. After day 5, it was a matter of getting used to the braces being there. After one month, it felt as if the braces were not there at all. I also only had canker sores during the first month and once in a while I will get only one as the brackets shift to a location where the inside of my mouth is not used to it. This has happened only a couple times thankfully. My teeth moved fast! (I will post pictures at some point). I had a severe overjet and my front teeth flared out a lot. I had the braces put on in March and by the end of June, all my front teeth came back significantly and all gaps were closed! Right now, the orthodontist is widening and leveling my lower and upper arch so that my back teeth will touch. The left side of my top teeth are up higher than the other, which makes my mouth look lopsided. It is amazing how much your teeth determine the support for your lips. The main foods I avoid are chewy ones, such as Starbursts, Skittles, Jolly Ranchers, gums, and caramels. There are a lot of foods to avoid, but these are the main ones that I personally had to give up. I was told it was okay to eat popcorn as long as I ate the popcorn on the top and not the bottom. I have eaten plenty of popcorn with no issues. I have adjustments and wire changes every 8 weeks. Afterword, the pain is no were near as severe as when I first got the braces on. There is only pain when my teeth touch or when I bite/chew. Therefore, the first two days I eat pastas and make soups. After two days, I can begin some chewing again and after 5 days there is no pain. Pain after braces adjustments: 3/10 I have heard people say that dental wax does not help, but those people are lying. If you have a canker sore, it is important to use wax over the the nearby brackets so the sore can heal. Once I put wax on, the sore was healed in a couple of days. If I did not put wax on, the sore would stay there for a week or more.
Each person will have a unique problem area where they may need to use wax throughout the entire process. For me, it is my top four teeth. The brackets irritate and rub my upper lip and it can get pretty sore and tender. Right now, I put wax on before bed every other week. The more my teeth come back, the less often I need to use the wax. So be sure to always keep wax around! Hope this helps! Feel free to ask questions about this post or topics I may not have covered ☺
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
WelcomeThis blog documents my journey through lower jaw surgery in hope of providing help and insight involving the experience. Archives
October 2015
Posts
Other People's Journeys
1 Year Post-Op 9 Months Post-Op 6 Months Post-Op Paying for Jaw Surgery 5 Months Post-Op Retainers Braces Off 4 Months Post-Op Fear vs. Reality 3 Months Post-Op 12 Weeks Day 81- Ortho. Apt. 2 11 Weeks 10 Weeks 9 Weeks Day 59: Surgeon Apt. 4 8 Weeks 7 Weeks 6 Weeks 1 Month Post-Op Day 27: Ortho. Apt. 1 Day 25: Surgeon Apt. 3 3 Weeks Day 17 Day 12: Surgeon Apt. 2 Day 10 Day 9 Day 8 Day 7 Day 6: Surgeon Apt. 1 Day 5 Day 4 Day 3 Day 2 Surgery Day (Day 1) Pretesting Appointment Surgical Hooks 1 Week Pre-Op Insurance is Complicated Caution with Insurance Pre-Op Appointment Planning and Preparing Orthodontist Apt. My Fears Pre-Op Date Surgery Date Phases of My Journey Life with Braces The Operation 3 Months Pre-Op |