12-Yr Old Getting Braces

I had braces myself too and they can be pretty painful sometimes.

Acecia B hit the nail on the head. Soft foods and Tylenol the for a few days after tightening will help.

I did not have time to read the other responses... i have 2 daughters with braces (both at 12) they are 13 and 14 now. They were in a lot of pain for a whole week. Lots of liquid tylenol/motrin and soft foods :) The only other time they have pain is when they tighten them (or whatever it is they do...lol) that seems to only bother them for a day or two. Hope this helps a little...

I had braces as a kid and I have sensory issues and did exactly what your son did, even went so far as to try to remove them myself. I didn't get anywhere with it, but I tried, so just a warning your son may not be like me, but keep an eye on him(I had pliers in the bathroom trying to pull them off). I would give him oragel as well as pain meds. For a kid who is sensitive to pain this can be excruciating. Motrin works best along with the oragel and believe it or not, I chewed gum which seemed to help. Give him lots of extra attention and soft happy foods, like pudding, jello and ice cream. Good luck!

I would give him some Tylenol for the pain and tell him they won't hurt for long.

But, they will hurt every month when he gets them tightened. Evenutally, he'll get used to the routine.

Hang in there!

How does it feel?
Its like having a sprain... but in your mouth. Your WHOLE mouth.

Oh gosh... the poor fella.
Well, I had braces too, at about that same age, had to have them on for 3 years.
Yes, it does hurt... sometimes a lot. It is not fun, even for a child that does not have additional ADHD/anxiety conditions.
Does he really need braces?
Nowadays, to me... it seems braces are just a "thing" that kids get told they have to have.... in the US.
Other countries not so much.
I don't know why... anyone?

"Hurting" for a "few days" is hurting for a "long" time for a kid. I HATED it when the Orthodontist "tightened" my braces... it really hurts. and the process of putting it on is not fun either. Nothing about braces was fun, for me.

Even for a non-emotional child, it still hurts....

I guess, just the usual or Tylenol or Motrin. Or sucking on popsicles...
Or ask the Orthodontist for pain medicine...

All the best,
Susan

My daughter got her braces last year when she was 12. They did not hurt for long. Tell him to hang in there.

Hi,
I personally had braces myself and they do hurt quite a bit for a few days. Your ENTIRE mouth hurts so I am feeling for him.. BUT it is a short lived pain...like i said just a few days. I tried to eat things that didnt require alot of chewing like jello and soups and that type of stuff. Beware though because his mouth will hurt like that EVERY time he goes back to get them tightened.. after a while you get used to it and know what to expect so you find your own way of dealing with it. I dont remember my mom ever giving me anything for the pain though. But perhaps some tylenol or motrin would help :0) And maybe remind him of how GREAT his teeth will look when he is done and he ISNT going to have to wear them forever.. its only temporary. And also he could play around with the different colors so he gets to try a new color next time if he wants. Dont know if that helped much but I hope so.. Good Luck!

I remember when I got my braces on in high school, my mouth hurt so badly I missed a day of school. Advil/ motrin helped A LOT. I would give it to him as often as the bottle says to help with the pain and inflammation.

I had braces myself. What I'm going to tell you that my orthodontist told me to do--most orthodontists will tell you NOT to do. However, IT HELPED. Chew Extra gum. It's sugarfree so it won't promote cavaties and I'd never had any trouble at all with it getting stuck in my brackets/wires. Chewing the gum helped to keep my gums "loose" is what I was told. I'd never had an ounce of pain. My wear time was literally cut in 1/2 because my teeth were able to move much easier. Another thing--when he goes in to have his wires changed, have him pick out different colored bands. Mine were always decorated for the seasons or my mood...just try to avoid white/clear--they turn yellowish. Black and blue look awesome together. When it came time to have my braces removed--I didn't have one single issue w/ any of my teeth; unlike some friends of mine who'd had either huge cavaties under their molar bands &/or even one who had 1/2 their teeth come off with the brackets. I'm in my 30s and to this day I still have very nice teeth. Best of luck to you!

We always made the day or 2 after the appointment a treat for foods: smoothies made with yogurt, chocolate pudding, applesauce, ice cream, and the biggest hero of all: Spaghetti-O's! Usually, my kids don't get a lot of that and these soft foods I had on hand for braces on, adjustments, etc....
because the teeth feel weird and the mouth does hurt. Ibuprofen appropriate for his weight helps a lot, too.
So do warm water rinses with a little salt. It eases the swelling of the gum tissue.

You could offer him some tylenol to offset the pain. Also, give him lots of TLC during the process. Some kids just need more. Also have soft foods around when he gets his braces adjusted or tightened. Like soups or mashed potatoes or applesauce. Whatever he likes. He will need encouragement to get through this> I do believe some people are just more sensitive when it comes to their mouths than other people.

My son just got his off at 14 after 2 years. I would give him motrin for the pain because it also reduces swelling. I would give it to him an hour before his appointments as well. On a different note, has anyone ever wondered if your son has Aspergers Syndrome? It's a form of autism, on the autism spectrum. My son has it. He is high functioning and smart. They say alot of times it is initially diagnosed as ADHD, my son was also for about 5 years till we got the AS (what they call it for short) diagnosis. For him the diagnosis meant I could get him into a school for children with autism spectrum, a school where he is safe and thriving. I hope I have not insulted you, just some of the things you sound sounded all too familiar! Good luck to both of you! If you ever have a question for me or are curious about the AS, please feel free to contact me.

When my ADHD child with anxiety issues got braces, I gave him tylenol and made him milkshakes for every meal for a few days. He LOVES milkshakes and normally they're a limited treat. The milkshakes didn't do him any permanent harm and they boosted his spirits. It let him know that I cared that he was in pain...plus...I do think it hurt him to eat and a hungry child is a grumpy child. My son has a very low pain tolerance and I know the braces did hurt, though not as much as he thought they did. When my 2nd child was ready for braces, she greatly anticipated the milkshake diet! Both my kids wanted to take them off themselves as well...they eventually get over it.

my son has braces on for one year so far, he is 14 yrs old.Somekids do not tolerate the pain well. My son is one of them. We had to give him Advil or Tylenol for the first day.This often happens wihen the adjustments are tighter than usual.
You can talk to the orthodontist and let them know the pain he is in and is having a tough time with it.They may keep the adjustments less severe(however the treatment will be longer).
Usually the pain goes away after a couple of days.
We have also experienced bracket problems or wires going off track that causes pain.My son is a big complainer when he feels any pain.So I know what you are going thru.

When my son first got the braces we let him have some milkshakes.It helped a little bit.Sometimes they just want the sympathy until the pain goes away.
If your son wants them removed talk to the DR hopefully they can pursuade him that it is not that bad.
Good luck!

L.

my son is 7 and has top braces and a palette expender...we have lots of wax on hand...it's become my son's friend. pack on the wax and don't be afraid that you are using too much when your son has a sore in his mouth. your ortho can pick it out later. as for the pain on tighting up the braces-tylenol every 4 hours and my son eats yogurt and applesauce alot for the first day after the tighting. yes it hurts but it'll be soon over. good luck and tell your son to hang in there!!!

Hi, A.:
Did he have any medication for his pain?
Comforting measures to sit with him and listen.
Ask questions, no advice please.
Give him something that will ease the pain.
Good luck. D.

I am a mom of two (and one on the way) who also just had braces put on and let me tell you they hurt!! Some things that have helped - OTC pain reliever such as tylenol for the first few days, especially about a half hour before eating. Ice packs or ice chips, or any cold foods that don't require chewing are good. In my opinion trying to chew anything or especially bite things (like pizza or rolls) has been the worst part so far. To help with that, cutting things into super small pieces that can just be swallowed and eating things that don't require any chewing at all (like couscous or other small pasta) has helped. As for comforting/consoling him, honestly i'm not sure. I do know that when dealing with anxiety issues it is important for him to feel like he can get a handle on the situation so any way you can think of to help him realize that he can do things to help ease the discomfort and that he can decide which things he wants to do may help. I mean things like having him decide which foods to eat or maybe something as simple as choosing between an ice pack or sucking or ice chips. Sometimes its the smallest decisions that can make the biggest difference. You are right about it only lasting a few days, I hope you and your son can can find something that will make those few days easier to deal with!
some other food ideas -
- yogurt in the freezer for a few hours - any kind works, my kids love the yogurt tubes.
- smoothies are good too - 1 cup of vanilla yogurt, fresh fruit (we usually use 1 container of strawberries but any fruit works) and 6-8 icecubes in the blender untill well blended. healthy option and no chewing involved!
-soup that doesn't have big chunks of things or if it does, soft things like carrots or potatoes.
-cook small pasta or couscous in some chicken broth. the broth makes it very soft and easy to eat.

I don't have a child that's been through it, but I definately remember my own experience. I would stop telling him that it will only hurt for a few days. Mine hurt, and hurt ALOT, every time I had a new wire placed for at least a few days. There was a lot of medication in my life at that point - OTC painkillers; but the most helpful thing I found was putting oragel or the like along my gums when the pain started peaking before the painkillers had fully kicked in. Although that probably wasn't the smartest idea I had - it made the experience surviveable.

Maybe plan special dinners for a few days later when he's feeling better and can actually eat without running everything through the blender.

Hi A., Been there, done that! I had braces and my youngest has gone through her "stage 1" braces and is not looking forward to her "stage 2" set in the next year or so. For the pain, Advil is great for mouth pain. Try giving him some before his next appointment and plan on soft foods or soups for the first day or so after each appointment. The first visit is always the worst, pain wise. Tell him the facts of why he has to have the braces...if your bite is wrong it effects you for life with tons of problems with your digestive system (just to start with). Make sure that he has plenty of wax for mouth sores (if the braces catch the skin inside his mouth) if you run out you can buy if for a couple of dollars at Walmart. Hang in there, this stage will pass. Best wishes.