Getting braces soon and need to know what to do? Help?

okay first off i just got braces yesterday:) only on the top though. when they first put on the braces it doesn't hurt AT ALL! a regular cleaning is more painful. but after a few hours it will hurt like crazy!!!!! i tried taking a pain reliever whcih you SHOULD do and it helped but barely. it's like having a tooth ache on each tooth!:/ fun right? anyway, i tried eating soup since it's warm but it doesn't help. then i tried putting ice in a plastic bag and putting it directly on my gums for about an hour and all of the aches went away. the second day when you wake up your teeth feel very sensative. but that i mean when you can't even touch your teeth without feeling the pain and the second day is when the actual braces start ripping your gums so i recommend puting the wax that they will give you on your teeth immediatly when you start to feel any possible discomfort. your gums will also be sore and a little swollen. you should buy some soft snacks as long as they aren't sticky(fruit snacks are a bad idea) try buying muffins or those really soft granola bar things. try not to drink tea or coffee because it can stain your teeth when taking the braces off. the first couple days, it's better to eat foods like mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, soup, and anything soft. cold food is better. also NEVER use whitening toothpaste because when they take off your braces it will leave a stain. if you chew gum it HAS to be sugarfree but don't worry, most gum is sugarfree to begin with.. it takes 1 to 2 week to get use to braces which is what they told me(i woundn't no yet). you won't have trouble with the flute. in all even if it feels like the braces are pulling your teeth back, the worst part right now is the metal part ripping my gums. it really hurts but lucky by a week it will be all better. don't worry, braces won't be that bad. plus you get a lot of attention from friends at school the day you come in with braces. many people get braces you're not the only one. you might not want to go to school the day you get them or if not, the day after because it is a lot of pain plus, it's not like you can bring soup to school and warm it up. lots of luck, hope this novel helped:)

I'm addressing the flute issue first as i'm in band too :D I play the trumpet, and I had to get used to the weird feeling because it mouthpiece pushes where my braces were. I don't think it'll be as bad for you with the flute because I barely noticed when I tried out my best friend's flute, but you'll still have to get used to it. You'll be thrown off at first, but your band director should understand. Let him know, and just do your best. I never took any painkillers because I hated the fuzzy feeling that comes along with it. Check the directions and see if it says how long it'll take to affect you. My dentist let me eat sugarless gum, because they were the really tiny pieces (won't work if you're getting braces on both rows of teeth along with the long rubber bands). You'll want to eat your starbursts, skittles, and any other candy that's hard or really gummy beforehand, as they break part of your braces. Ask your doctor about everything that I might've missed though, because every dentist's opinion is a little different. Also, if you think that the wire is a little too long even if it's half of a centimeter at the end, tell your dentist right away so they can clip it because it scratches your cheek and the wax they give you to cover it up just falls right off.

Yes, take pain killer before you go, probably like 10 min before leaving. Definitely tylenol NOT advil, it will make your mouth bleed while getting them on (asked dentist). Also, bring chap stick. You'll get it when they are put on. You do need to buy a lot of soft foods b/c your mouth will hurt for a week or two. The dentist will give you a kit with a few soft bristled toothbrushes, a brush for in-between the brackets, floss, flossers, toothpaste, wax (you put it on the brackets when they are rubbing your mouth) When you get them, go home and take a nap! You will sleep through most of the pain. Eat EXTREMELY soft foods for the first few days. Don't get lazy with brushing and flossing b/c you will wish you hadn't. I went to Taco Bell and ate right after...I wish I wouldn't of though. It will hurt pretty bad for a while, but you will get used to it. Don't worry about tighteningg because it doesn't hurt...I don't know why every one says it does. Just think about all the different colors you get to pick. They shouldn't interfere with you're playing, but if they do, I am sure your teacher will understand. All the advice I told you are things I wish I did but I have made habits and they are hard to brake. If you need more advice, feel free to e-mail me.

hey you answered mine so ill answer yours. I am also in 7th grade currently with braces. when i first got my braces i was so nervous but when you get them on it doesn't hurt at all. its kinda cool having braces because it feels all different. i took a pain killer like 1 hour before and but it didnt help that much because your braces dont start to hurt until that night and the night after, it just feels odd on your teeth. they should give you wax which if your inner lip/gums are getting irritated then you put the wax on top of the bracet. but the ortho should tell u everything after the process of getting your braces on is over. this may sound surprissing but the spaceers i had before the braces hurt more then my accutal braces. Also the braces hurt about 2-3 days after you get them on esspecaly at night so take medicane like tylonal which really helped me. My mom got me little tylonal tablets that melt in your mouth so i had a few of them in my locker and my room incase they hhurt i would be able to take them without water. Also, stay busy! i had a sleepover with my friend the night i got my braces and the same day she also got her pallet expander so we were busy and forgot pain but when it did hurt, we were in pain together so we ended up laughing. there are also a lot of kids in my school with braces that play instruments like the flute and the clarinette which dont effect them at all whatsoever. good luck and you can email me if you have any more question. email: [email protected]

put chapstick on before hand and ibprofen would be a good idea because of this contraption they put in ur mouth to keep it dry so the cement sticks! dont worry tho its funny! Buying soft foods would be a good idea, like yogurt and pasta and ice cream because it hurts to eat for the first few days, but try to eat some harder things like sandwiches with un toasted bread, because it will relieve pressure and help you feel better in the long run! :) when ever u get them tightened, eat immedeately after words, before they get sore! i would highly recomend taking some sort of pain killer before u go to sleep, because there is nothing more irritating than not being able to sleep because your mouth hurts! if there is one side of your mouth that hurts more than the other, if you lay down to watch tv or sleep, lay on the opposite side that hurts (eg If the left side of your mouth hurts, lay on your side with your the right side of your mouth on the pillow). this will relieve pressure and make it less painful. also, when you do that, it helps if you use ur toung to push on ur teeth, it hurts when u do this but it also relieves pressure. Dont be scared! within a month, you'll go days when you forget you even have braces :) GOOD LUCK!

i got braces in janurary of this year tips: 1. put orajel cream on your gums and inside mouth before getting on braces 2. get alleve- it really works! 3. you need to an interproximital (idk if i spell it right) brush 4. i ate a LOT of baby food. not veggies , just baby food fruit, ice cream 5. get special floss made for braces called gliders 6. get dental wax - it REALLY does help thosse first days 7. when i got them on i didn't feel sore at all. but about 30-45 mins later i was in a lot of pain and i took alleve. 8. hello, fellow musician . i myself am a clarinetist and it did interfere with my playing so i got excused for the first 5 days. since you are a flutist, hmm..... i guess it depends on you and the mercy of your band director. 9. try not to talk a llot - it hurts 10. use a lot of oragel cream that babies use when they teethe. 11. don't eat hard candy, popcorn, hard fruit like apples (u can try bananas & etc), hard veggies like carrots, or spinach which could get stuck in ur braces. 12. don't overdose on alleve. i know it is tempting, but don't.

Do not worry!! Yes, it will hurt for a day or two but it's not that bad. It just feels tight because its pulling on all your teeth a bit. but its not like a toothache, its just pressure. what you need to remember is that every appointment that you ll have, they will tighten the wire but it hurts less by every appointment. After a couple "tightenings", theres no more pain because the teeth need to move less.. and after a while its just stabilization so no movement needed, no pain. You get used really quickly to braces, they dont bother you they become part of your mouth. The freaky feeling its when they take them off, you feel so weird licking your whole teeth. Your orthodontist should give you the proper tools you need, special floss, wax that you put to avoid irritations to your lips (you wont cut open your lip, its just can get irritated in the beginning so put wax as soon as you feel a friction). Take tylenol before leaving home. You can buy the numbing gel for babies when teething. Have things at home to make smoothies, and soup, ice cream or jello, and yogurt, meal shakes, anything you like that you dont need to chew. Because you wont feel like using your teeth in the first day or two. As to what you can't eat with braces, well I never listened to my orthodontist advice. I ate popcorn and chewed gum and all. Its not a big deal. But have fun having corn on the cob!!! Dont try it in public or with a date!!! It gets stuck everywhere not a pretty sight!! haha! Also I couldn't eat apples during the first year, i felt my front teeth were not strong enough to bite in it. It wont make you speak or play the flute any differently. And to finish, braces are so worth the trouble and pain!!!!!

hey :) I didn't take any pain killers before I had my braces put on but I did afterwards when it started to hurt. When the braces are properly on, it is quite a bit of pressure to your mouth and this happens every time they get tightened but you soon get used to it, but sometimes it hurts to eat for a day or two (i'm not trying to scare you lol, it really doesn't hurt as much as it sounds) but soft foods are good to begin with. When I had braces I had a few toothbrushes, I had a normal one and a smaller one which the bristles was in the shape of a small square to clean around each metal square. I also had this tiny thing that cleaned inbetween the wires but i'm sure your dentist will tell you all about that. They will also go through with you foods that you should and shouldn't eat (although I used to eat everything and in two years I didnt break my brace once!) Don't worry at all about the pain. It is just a small amount of pressure but it doesn't last too long. You should be able to play the flute still, I am a singer and I was worried that It would affect my singing and speech when i got them but they didn't at all. I also have friends with braces who play the flute too and it doesn't affect it. Hope this has helped. Good luck with the braces!! :)

relax! it wont be to bad the first time they wont make them tight the worst part in the beginning is they tend to cut your lip, pain killers are good and its probably a good idea to take them before your go. get lots of soft food! Again i don't think it will be to bad the first time but when you get them tightened you will really need soft food. usually the dentist will give you a tooth brush and a tool to get between braces so don't worry, the worst part at first is it bothering ur lips as in cutting them they will give your wax and that helps sooo much so keep that with you i doubt it will bother you with the flute like everything else you will get used to it in time