When you get braces do they hurt

Braces can cause pressure and tender teeth after fitting or adjustments, but the orthodontist can check pain that is severe or persistent.

Brackets bonded to teeth and an archwire apply controlled force through the periodontal ligament to move teeth. Soreness may affect chewing after placement or an adjustment, while a wire end or loose bracket can cause a sharp sore spot on the cheek.

Choose soft foods, brush carefully around brackets, and use orthodontic wax over a rubbing wire or bracket as instructed. Ask the orthodontic team about suitable pain relief for your medical history and contact them if an appliance is loose or causing a wound.

Contact the orthodontist when pain is severe, worsening, lasts beyond the expected adjustment period, or comes with swelling, fever, a broken wire, or a loose bracket. Seek urgent medical help for facial swelling that affects breathing or swallowing.

Ask whether the discomfort is normal tooth movement or an appliance problem, and whether the wire or bracket needs repair. Ask how to clean around the hardware and which symptoms should trigger an earlier review.