Losing brushes is basically my new hobby at this point. I swear, they vanish into thin air—maybe there’s a secret dimension just for orthodontic stuff. I’ve actually started writing my name on them, like I’m back in kindergarten.
Chewing on a cold washcloth sounds way less weird after the week I had. Tried biting into a frozen bagel (bad idea, 0/10, do not recommend), and now I’m just sticking to ice water and yogurt. Smoothies are genius though—might have to steal that one.
Has anyone tried those silicone mouth guards for sleeping? I keep waking up with sore teeth and I’m not sure if it’s from clenching or just the braces doing their evil work. Wondering if it actually helps or if it’s just another thing to lose under my bed...
My kiddo’s been in braces for about six months now, and the mouth guard question keeps coming up. The orthodontist mentioned that some of the silicone ones can actually make things worse if they don’t fit right, especially with all the shifting teeth. I’m a little paranoid about adding anything extra to her mouth at night, but she does wake up complaining of sore teeth some mornings. Sometimes I wonder if it’s just the normal pressure from the braces or if she’s clenching without realizing.
We tried the cold washcloth trick too—honestly, it seemed to help more than I expected, but it’s not exactly convenient when you’re half asleep at 2am. The smoothie idea is a lifesaver for breakfast, though. Has anyone had luck with over-the-counter pain relief gels or those wax strips? I’m always nervous about her swallowing something she shouldn’t, but I’d love to hear if those actually make a difference for overnight pain.
I totally get the paranoia about mouth guards with braces—I had the same worry, especially after my ortho warned me about them messing up tooth movement. For me, wax strips were a game changer for those spots where the brackets rubbed my cheeks raw, but honestly, they didn’t do much for actual tooth pain. I tried Orajel once and it numbed things for a bit, but the taste was awful and it wore off fast... plus I worried about swallowing it too. Have you tried giving her a regular ibuprofen before bed when it’s really bad? That was the only thing that let me sleep some nights. The cold washcloth trick is genius though—wish I’d thought of that when I was in braces.
Have you tried giving her a regular ibuprofen before bed when it’s really bad? That was the only thing that let me sleep some nights.
I get why ibuprofen helps, but I’m always nervous about giving it too often, especially with kids. I worry about the stomach stuff and just... overdoing it. My daughter’s ortho was kind of strict about pain meds, said to use them sparingly because it could maybe slow down tooth movement. Not sure how true that is, but it made me second-guess even one dose.
We tried sticking to cold things—ice water sips, frozen grapes (supervised, obviously), and sometimes just a cool spoon against her gums. It didn’t erase the pain but distracted her enough to settle down for bed. Wax was a lifesaver for the cheek cuts, but like you said, it does nothing for that deep ache.
Honestly, I wish there was a magic fix. Every time she complains, I feel guilty not giving her something stronger, but I’m just too anxious about side effects.
That’s a legit concern—ibuprofen can mess with the stomach if used too often, and there’s some debate about whether anti-inflammatories actually slow down tooth movement. My kid’s ortho mentioned it too but said an occasional dose after adjustments is fine. We leaned on cold stuff and soft foods, but honestly, distraction (like watching a movie together) did more for her mood than anything else. The deep ache is tough... I wish there was a real fix too.