Relieve Braces Pain
Adjust your diet and try more cold beverages and foods. Soon after getting braces, your teeth and gums are sore and hard, crunchy foods such as chips, raw vegetables, and certain fruit further irritate this soreness. Avoid anything that could further cause discomfort, and instead opt for soft foods or foods that don’t involve a lot of chewing or pressure on the teeth, such as mashed potatoes and soup. Having cold beverages and foods helps combat inflammation as well. They can act in a similar manner to an ice pack, and numb the inside of your mouth. Sucking on ice can also help relieve pain, but make sure that you don’t chew the ice! Chewing it can damage your gums, fracture your enamel, and even cause broken teeth.
Try chewing on frozen teething rings. Teething rings are designed for infants, however, they can help combat pressure and discomfort that comes with braces. Chewing on them gently will help pain subside and shift the pressure elsewhere.
Another quick solution that involves cold treatment: ice packs. Applying an ice pack/cold compress to the inside of the mouth reduces swelling, sores, and soothes any soreness as it does for many other injuries.
If cold treatments aren’t proving to be effective, use a heating pad. Place it over the affected area for pain relief, and if you don’t have one, use a warm washcloth. It’ll do the job just as well.
If the formation of sores on the inside of your mouth becomes an issue, rinse with salt water. Braces can irritate the skin on the inside of your mouth, and the constant rubbing can cause sores which can be painful and uncomfortable, especially while eating. To get rid of them, rinse with warm salt water. This will alleviate pain and prevent an infection from occurring. While you can buy salt water rinse from your local drug store, you can also make it at home by dissolving half a teaspoon of salt into a cup of warm water. Gargle and swish it around in your mouth for around 60 seconds before spitting it out.