When my daughter got her braces, she was totally miserable for a few days—lots of complaining and not much eating. What helped most was sticking to soft foods (yogurt, mashed potatoes, ice cream), using orthodontic wax on pokey bits, and giving her some children’s Tylenol when it got rough. Also, cold drinks seemed to help with swelling a bit. Has anyone found something that works even better or makes that first week less of a struggle?
using orthodontic wax on pokey bits, and giving her some children’s Tylenol when it got rough
We had a similar experience—my son was pretty grumpy for a few days. He actually preferred cold compresses on his cheeks rather than just cold drinks, which seemed to reduce inflammation faster. Did you notice any difference between acetaminophen and ibuprofen for pain relief? We switched to ibuprofen after the first day and it seemed to help more with the swelling.
Did you notice any difference between acetaminophen and ibuprofen for pain relief? We switched to ibuprofen after the first day and it seemed to help more with the swelling.
Yeah, ibuprofen usually wins for swelling. Acetaminophen’s good for pain, but doesn’t really tackle inflammation. Cold compresses are a solid move—sometimes kids actually like the excuse to chill out on the couch, too.
Cold compresses are a solid move—sometimes kids actually like the excuse to chill out on the couch, too.
Totally agree with this. My daughter was all about the ice packs, especially the first couple days. She even named her gel pack “Frosty” and insisted on bringing it everywhere... whatever works, right?
We tried both meds and honestly, ibuprofen seemed to take the edge off more, especially when her cheeks puffed up a bit. Acetaminophen helped at night for plain soreness, but didn’t do much for the swelling. We’d usually start with ibuprofen after dinner, then switch to acetaminophen if she woke up in the night.
One thing that surprised me: smoothies were a lifesaver. She got to pick her flavors and it distracted her from the discomfort. Plus, it made taking medicine way easier—she hated swallowing pills on their own.
In my experience, it was a mix of meds, cold packs, and just letting her zone out with movies for a day or two. After that, things got a lot easier.
Cold packs and movies definitely sound like the way to go. I remember when I got my braces on (as an adult, which is a whole other thing), I was honestly surprised by how much it hurt to even bite down on a banana. I kept worrying I’d never be able to eat real food again.
I’m curious—did your kids have trouble with the wax at first? I found it kind of tricky to get it to stick, and I kept worrying I’d swallow it by accident. My orthodontist said it’s fine, but still... feels weird.
Also, does anyone else get super anxious about brushing around the brackets that first week? I was so scared of messing something up or making it hurt worse. I ended up using a baby toothbrush for a while because it just felt gentler.
Maybe it’s different for kids, but I feel like half the battle is just getting used to how strange everything feels. The smoothies idea is genius, though—I wish I’d thought of that instead of living on instant mashed potatoes.
