When I switched from traditional braces to aligners, I noticed the pain was different, but both sucked in their own way. For braces, I used wax on the brackets and stuck to soft foods for the first week—applesauce and mashed potatoes were basically my diet. With aligners, the pressure was more like a dull ache every time I changed trays, so I’d pop them in at night, take some ibuprofen, and sleep through the worst of it. Anyone have tricks that worked better for them? Maybe something less obvious than painkillers or ice packs?
I totally get the “dull ache” with aligners.
Honestly, chewing on those little ortho chewies for a few minutes helped me way more than I expected. Distracted me and seemed to ease the pressure faster. Warm salt water rinses worked for both braces and aligners—kinda old school, but soothing.“the pressure was more like a dull ache every time I changed trays, so I’d pop them in at night”
Chewies were such a game changer for me too—honestly, I underestimated them at first. I always thought they were just another gimmick, but nope, they really did help settle the trays and take my mind off the ache. Salt water rinses are underrated, for sure. My grandma always swore by them, and I guess there’s something to be said for old-school remedies. I did try popping new trays in at night, but sometimes I’d wake up and still feel sore... guess everyone’s a bit different.
