What is the best way to relieve the pain of braces?
- Small open wounds in the oral cavity hurt the most. In order to protect the affected areas, the metal parts should be lined with dental wax at these points. The wax covers the sharp and irritating areas and gives the wounded area the opportunity to regenerate and heal.
- However, if the wounds are too large or deep, the wax will not help sufficiently.
In these cases, a surface anaesthetic can be applied that numbs the affected area for a few hours.
- Rinsing with chlorhexidine also provides short-term relief through its bactericidal effect. Both the gel and the chlorhexidine rinse are non-prescription and available in pharmacies.
- Sucking ice or external cooling with a cooling compress also helps.
- Home remedies such as gargling with sage tea or salt water can also provide short-term relief of symptoms.
- If the pain is too severe, painkillers should be used as a last resort and the treating dentist or orthodontist should be consulted to find the cause.
If the pain caused by the braces is too great, painkillers must be used. Since the wounds can become inflamed by the wire and the brackets, the painkiller of choice is ibuprofen.
Ibuprofen has an anti-inflammatory effect and is therefore effective against the pain caused by the braces. However, ibuprofen is not recommended for stomach diseases, as it attacks the stomach lining more frequently. Since most patients are children and adolescents, the prescribed dosage by the orthodontist or dentist must be strictly adhered to and not exceeded.
It is also not advisable for parents or patients to take their own medication. If ibuprofen cannot be prescribed due to the general medical history and previous illnesses, paracetamol is used. This pain medication can damage the liver when overdosed, as it is broken down in this organ.Therefore, the prescribed dosage must be observed here.
There is an orthodontically supportive accompanying therapy through homeopathy, which promotes the success of the therapy and alleviates pain symptoms. There are dozens of preparations that are individually adapted to the patient and are prescribed according to various criteria. The age, physical condition and orthodontic treatment are of importance. The treating physician diagnoses in advance and decides which homeopathic preparation is suitable for the patient. Arbitrary medication is not recommended in order not to impair the success of the therapy.