There are a couple things to clarify in answer to this question. Are we talking about braces or Invisalign or something else? And what kind of painful do you mean?
Braces
Most people do experience some discomfort with braces: the scratchy feeling of the braces and wires and separately the soreness of the teeth moving.
The scratchiness of the braces and wires is something that you get used to really quickly. After about a week of having the appliances, you hardly know they’re there. Really! And almost every person who gets their braces off tells us how weird their teeth feel because they’ve forgotten what normal teeth feel like! As your lips and cheeks and tongue get used to the feeling of the braces, you might want to use wax to cover some of the sharper bits. We include plenty in your new patient kits and even leave some outside the door on weekends.
So are braces painful to your lips and cheeks? Maybe a little at first, but not for long.
The other feeling people experience with braces is the soreness of teeth moving. In order to move teeth, we ask your bones to change – the bone and gums actually break down and then build back up in a new, straighter location. This process can feel a little sore and will depend on what we’re doing – rotating a tooth, closing a space, working on overbites, etc. Most people will feel an ache in their teeth for the first 2-3 days after coming to see us. The worst soreness tends to be the morning after your appointment, either getting the braces on or having a new wire placed or adjusted. Plan to have a soft breakfast that first day and you’ll be back to barely noticing them soon. Advil or Tylenol (or any other pain relief) can be very beneficial to feeling better the first few days.
Two asides: first, just because they don’t hurt doesn’t mean they’re not working! With the wires we use, you can have gentle pressure for a few months without needing to increase the force or soreness. And second, many patients need to use elastics (rubber bands) during treatment. You take off and put back them back on when you eat or brush your teeth. Many patients have some soreness with the start of rubber bands, but if you don’t use them full time, you never get past the soreness because they keep feeling like some new pressure to your teeth. If the bands are feeling really sore – wear them more! It’ll help, I promise!
So are braces painful to your teeth while the teeth move? A little bit, but probably not as bad or for as long as you’re expecting.
Invisalign
The scratchy feeling on your lips and cheeks and tongue from Invisalign is significantly less than having wires or braces glued on. However, there is still some ‘getting used to’ the edges of the plastic aligners and the little attachments on the teeth. Similar to the braces above, after a few days, the presence of the aligners shouldn’t really be noticeable or painful.
Are Invisalign aligners painful to your mouth? Not really, but maybe a little the first couple days.
The soreness of your teeth moving is reported by most patients to be significantly less than patients using traditional braces. The Invisalign is changed every 1-2 weeks, so I think that the more frequent, smaller adjustments end up being less uncomfortable on the teeth. If a certain tray feels more tight or sore than usual, you can take a little pain relief (Advil, Tylenol, etc.) to help with that for a few days.
Are Invisalign aligners painful to your teeth while the teeth move? Not really, although there may be some trays that do make your teeth a little sore/sensitive.
The Laurent Orthodontics team is happy to talk more about what to expect. Bring all your questions to your free consultation appointment – give us a call at (707) 938 – 5255 to schedule.