BRACES HURT WAY MORE THAN I EXPECTED... WHAT HELPS?

I totally relate to the jaw fatigue - never realized how much effort just talking would take with braces on. I haven’t tried the silicone covers yet, but I’ve seen people mention them in other threads. Wax has been a lifesaver for me, but it does get a bit gross if you eat with it. Anyone else notice that? I also found cold stuff like smoothies helps numb things a little when it’s really sore. Crunchy food is a distant memory at this point... I’d do questionable things for a bag of chips right now.

I totally get the wax thing - honestly, I can’t stand how it feels after eating. I actually switched to those silicone covers and, for me, they’re way less gross and don’t fall apart as fast. Cold stuff does help, but sometimes it just makes my teeth ache more... Anyone else? And yeah, chips are like a forbidden fruit right now - I miss crunchy food so much.

And yeah, chips are like a forbidden fruit right now - I miss crunchy food so much.

That’s definitely one of the hardest parts. Missing crunchy snacks is super common, but it’s usually safest to stick with softer options for now. Silicone covers are a solid choice - lots of people find them more comfortable than wax, especially after meals. If cold stuff makes your teeth ache, maybe try room temp smoothies or yogurt instead. It usually gets easier after the first few weeks, even if it doesn’t feel like it right now.

I totally get the chip cravings... I was dying for something crunchy during my first month. What surprised me, though, was how much even soft bread could hurt to chew at first. I tried the silicone covers but honestly, they kept slipping off for me - maybe I was using them wrong? Ended up just sticking with wax most days. For pain, I found that eating lukewarm soups and mashed potatoes helped a bit. It’s weird, but even applesauce felt like a treat after a week of bland stuff. Does anyone else feel like the pain comes in waves instead of just fading away?

That wave thing is totally normal, in my experience. I remember thinking the pain would just fade, but it’s more like - one day you wake up and it’s fine, then by dinner it’s sore again. I actually found ice water helped a lot for flare-ups, even though cold stuff can be weird with braces. About the silicone covers, I had the same issue - wax just sticks better, especially if you dry the bracket first. Bread was weirdly tough for me too... mashed sweet potatoes became my go-to.

I actually found ice water helped a lot for flare-ups, even though cold stuff can be weird with braces.

Interesting, I had kind of the opposite reaction - cold drinks made my teeth ache more, especially after adjustments. I ended up sticking with lukewarm herbal tea or just plain room-temp water. It’s funny how everyone’s mouth reacts differently. Also, I know wax is the usual go-to, but I had a bit more luck with the silicone covers once I trimmed them down. They stayed put better for me, but maybe that’s just personal preference. Bread was a nightmare though... I switched to soft scrambled eggs for a while.

Bread was a nightmare though... I switched to soft scrambled eggs for a while.

Totally get you on the bread - felt like it would glue itself to every bracket. I lived off mashed potatoes and yogurt for days after each adjustment. Funny you mention silicone covers, I always found wax just melted away too fast, especially if I tried to eat anything. Lukewarm drinks were my go-to too... cold stuff just made my teeth throb. Guess everyone’s mouth has its own rules.

Bread was the worst for me too - just stuck everywhere and felt impossible to clean out. I actually found that cold stuff helped numb things, but my sister swore it made hers worse. Funny how everyone’s mouth reacts so differently. I never really liked the wax either... always seemed to vanish mid-bite.

Bread is honestly a nightmare with braces - those soft bits just wedge themselves in every bracket and wire, and then you’re stuck doing the awkward tongue acrobatics in public. I used to think bagels would be safer, but nope... just as bad, maybe worse.

Funny you mention cold stuff helping. For me, ice water was a lifesaver after adjustments, but my nephew said it made his teeth ache even more. There’s definitely no universal fix - oral sensitivity seems all over the place.

The wax situation drove me nuts too. It’d disappear halfway through lunch, and then I’d be left with that sharp wire poking at my cheek again. Sometimes I wondered if I was eating more wax than actual food... not exactly appetizing.

One thing that did help was rinsing with warm salt water when things got really sore (not glamorous, but effective). And switching to softer foods for a few days post-adjustment - mashed potatoes became my go-to. Hang in there; it does get better, even if it feels endless right now.

Totally get what you mean about bread - honestly, even the softest stuff manages to get stuck in the weirdest places. I tried switching to wraps for a while, but those can be just as annoying. The wax disappearing always baffled me too... are we all just eating it without realizing?

You mentioned warm salt water rinses, which helped me a lot, but I’ve always wondered - did anyone try those silicone covers instead of wax? Curious if they actually stay put better or if it’s just more of the same hassle.

My kiddo swears by those silicone covers, actually. The wax just seemed to disappear by lunchtime, but the silicone ones hung on through school snacks and all. They’re a bit fiddly at first, but once you get the hang of squishing them on, they stay put way better - at least for us. Still have to fish out bread bits with a toothpick sometimes... but the mouth sores definitely healed up faster. Hang in there - it does get easier after a few weeks.

Silicone covers are decent, but I actually found the wax easier to shape around the brackets - at least at first. That said, yeah, it’s a pain when it just melts away with hot food. I always kept a little kit in my backpack. Ibuprofen helped a ton for those first few days, too… the pressure aches are no joke.

The wax definitely saved me a few times, but I kept losing it or forgetting to replace it after eating... which was a mess with anything remotely warm. I remember thinking silicone would be more durable, but it just felt too bulky for me. Ibuprofen was a lifesaver for the pressure pain, though - especially at night. I also tried rinsing with salt water and, honestly, it helped a bit with the irritation. Those first few weeks were rough, but eventually your mouth just kind of toughens up, weirdly enough.

I totally get what you mean about the wax - I was forever misplacing those little bits, and then I'd be scrambling when a bracket started digging in. I actually found warm salt water rinses helped more than I expected, especially when everything felt raw. Ibuprofen was my go-to too, but I tried alternating with acetaminophen sometimes, just to mix it up. Did anyone else get those weird mouth ulcers in the first month? That was the worst part for me, honestly.

My kid’s only a couple weeks in and already had a few mouth ulcers pop up - are those just from the brackets rubbing, or is it something else? I keep worrying it’s an allergy or maybe we’re not cleaning well enough. Did anyone notice if certain foods made them worse? I’m also nervous about giving pain meds too often... how do you know when it’s too much?

“are those just from the brackets rubbing, or is it something else? I keep worrying it’s an allergy or maybe we’re not cleaning well enough.”

My daughter had a mouth that looked like she’d been chewing on cacti for the first month - turns out most of it was just those evil brackets doing their thing. Wax helped, but she’d inevitably eat it by accident (seriously, why do they make it taste kind of okay?). We did notice anything citrusy made her ulcers flare up - lemons were a hard no. I always wonder if there’s a magic food that actually helps heal them faster... anyone ever try yogurt or something weird like that?

Yogurt was a go-to at our house too - cold and soothing, but honestly, it didn’t seem to magically heal anything faster. We tried honey once (heard it’s supposed to help), but it was just a sticky mess. Has anyone noticed if spicy foods make things worse? My kid swore hot chips were “fine” but... I’m skeptical.

Spicy foods were a no-go for me - definitely made everything feel worse and I regretted it after just a few bites. I get the temptation though, especially with kids who miss their favorite snacks. What worked best for us was sticking to softer, bland stuff, even if it got boring. Popsicles helped a lot too, and they’re cheap. Hang in there... it does get easier after the first week or so, promise.

I actually found popsicles made my teeth ache even more, weirdly enough. Ended up swapping to room temp applesauce and mashed potatoes - super cheap and less of that freezing pain. I do miss crunchy stuff, though. Anyone else try just letting food sit out till it’s not cold?

I always worry about biting into anything cold or even just a little chilly... it sends that weird ache right through my teeth. Has anyone tried microwaving things like soup or oatmeal just a bit extra, or does that make it worse? I’m nervous about going too hot but room temp just feels safer.