Got my braces put on about a month ago and honestly, wasn't as bad as I thought it'd be. But now I'm hearing all these horror stories about the first tightening appointment...like people saying it's way worse than getting them on in the first place. Um, kinda nervous now, haha. Is it really that painful or are people just exaggerating? Would love some honest takes here.
"But now I'm hearing all these horror stories about the first tightening appointment...like people saying it's way worse than getting them on in the first place."
Honestly, I think people tend to exaggerate a bit when it comes to braces tightening. When I had mine, the first tightening was definitely uncomfortable, but nowhere near as dramatic as some of the stories I'd heard beforehand. It felt more like a dull ache or pressure rather than sharp pain—kind of like when you bite into something hard unexpectedly and your teeth feel sensitive afterward.
One thing that helped me was taking an over-the-counter pain reliever about an hour before my appointment. Also, sticking to softer foods for a day or two afterward made things easier. Everyone's pain tolerance is different though, so your experience might vary slightly.
I'm curious if anyone else found certain foods or tricks particularly helpful after their tightening appointments...
Yeah, I agree people tend to hype it up a bit. For me, the tightening was more annoying than painful—felt like my teeth were just kinda sore for a day or two. Ice cream and smoothies were my best friends afterward, lol.
My daughter just had hers tightened last week, and honestly, it wasn't as rough as we'd anticipated. She complained a bit about a dull ache the first night, but by the next day, she was mostly fine—just cautious about biting into anything too crunchy. Agree with the smoothie strategy though...we stocked up on frozen berries and yogurt beforehand, and it definitely helped her get through. Hang in there, it'll pass quicker than you think.
She complained a bit about a dull ache the first night, but by the next day, she was mostly fine—just cautious about biting into anything too crunchy.
I remember feeling pretty anxious before my first tightening too, especially after reading all those scary stories online. Honestly, it wasn't exactly fun, but it also wasn't nearly as bad as I expected. The soreness was noticeable for a day or two—kinda like when they first went on—but nothing unbearable. Soft foods definitely helped me through it (hello mac n cheese and smoothies...). Hang in there, the anticipation is usually worse than the actual thing.
