We know that getting braces is an exciting time, but there is also a certain amount of uncertainty about what to expect. First, you should know that actually putting on the braces does not hurt one bit. In fact, we usually tell our patients to go enjoy lunch after we place the brackets because your teeth will not be sore until later that night.  We also recommend that our patients return to work or school after getting braces! Sorry, kids :)

Things will probably feel a little strange at first as your lips and cheeks adapt to the feel of the braces, but that goes away within a day or two. Some patients like to place a small piece of wax on the braces if they are rubbing the cheeks, but today’s braces are very smooth and wax is rarely needed.

By dinner of the first day, your teeth will start to feel tender. This is not a shooting pain, but a more general soreness of the teeth. You will want to stick to a relatively soft diet for a couple of days until the soreness goes away. We also suggest taking ibuprofen every 6 hours for the first day or two until the tenderness wears off.