I read somewhere that chewing sugarless gum is supposed to help with the soreness after getting braces tightened. Sounds kinda backwards, right? But I tried it and, weirdly, it did distract from the ache a bit. Frozen grapes are another odd one—cold but soft enough to bite. Anyone else have random tricks that work for them? Or something your ortho suggested that sounded nuts but actually helped?
Chewing gum after a tightening? I’ve heard that too, but honestly, my ortho was super clear about avoiding gum, even the sugarless kind. Something about risking brackets popping off or wires bending weirdly. Maybe it depends on the type of braces? I was too nervous to try it, especially after a friend lost a bracket on Skittles and had to go back in.
Frozen grapes though—totally agree, those are a lifesaver. I also tried cold cucumber slices once (kind of random, but it worked for like ten minutes). The weirdest thing my ortho suggested was rinsing with warm salt water. Sounded old-school, but it actually soothed my gums way more than I expected.
“chewing sugarless gum is supposed to help with the soreness after getting braces tightened. Sounds kinda backwards, right?”
Yeah, it really does sound backwards to me too. Maybe I’m just too anxious about messing something up... Anyone else get freaked out about that? I just stick to soft foods and ice packs, but maybe I’m missing out.
Totally get where you're coming from—my ortho was strict about no gum too, even the “safe” kinds. I’ve heard some folks say it helps, but honestly, I was way more worried about messing up my brackets than dealing with a little soreness. Frozen grapes are clutch, though. I also swore by cold applesauce (not exciting, but it works). And yeah, that warm salt water thing feels old-school, but it really does take the edge off for a bit. I guess everyone’s got their weird little tricks...
- I’ve seen a lot of people swear by cold stuff—frozen grapes, popsicles, even just ice water. Makes sense, since cold helps with inflammation.
- The salt water rinse is classic, but I’d add that using a water flosser with lukewarm water can actually help soothe sore spots too, especially if you’re dealing with irritation near the gums.
- Personally, I found that gently massaging my cheeks (outside, along the jaw) helped distract from the ache a bit. Not a cure, but it’s something.
- Curious—did anyone’s ortho ever recommend topical gels? Mine was against them, but I know some folks use them for mouth ulcers. Wonder if there’s any downside?
Haha, I totally get the gum thing—felt weird at first, but it’s like tricking your mouth into thinking it’s busy with something other than pain. My ortho was big on the salt water rinse too, but honestly, it just made me crave chips (which I couldn’t have). I tried those numbing gels once, but they tasted like sadness and regret. Ice packs on my cheeks helped a bit when things got really rough, though I looked like a chipmunk prepping for winter.
