Braces

[Pudd]

A few months ago i had braces fitted, and since then ive noticed that there are little bits of wire at either side of the top and bottom set have been catching on my cheeks and making them bleed, its quite painful. Is this a problem on the behalf of the dentist or are they meant to be sticking out as much as this?

For clarification, im taking about the wire that is threaded through the brackets which gets cut off at each end, which has been cut, but still feels a bit long.

[georgiamay]

the same thing happens to me all the time. you get used to it after a while. its just from where your teeth move, like they're supposed to, and the wire just starts to poke out. when you go back to get your wires changed every few 4-8 weeks, depending on what your dentist says, they'll just cut them again. seriously, its nothing to worry about. it should stop hurting eventually when you get used to it.

if it doesnt get better and its really unbareable, then get an appointment to see your dentist as soon as possible, and he could make some adjustments for you.

it really is nothing to worry about though :)

[Pudd]

Thanks. Im going for an operation to expose some canine teeth lodged in my pallete tomorrow, so hopefully they will just require a retainer to keep in line, alothough that may just be wishful thinking >.<

[emt.Cam]

It may be nothing to worry about; however, it can be extremely uncomfortable. I had braces for two and a half years. Poking wires can tear up the sides of your inner cheeks. I would suggest wax. Many orthodontists supply this because of the monthly wire adjustments and teeth shifting can cause the wire to become irritating. Get a tiny ball of wax and stick it on the end of the wire, you'll find it very helpful until you get your wires adjusted again and hardly noticeable. If you find that the wire is protruding too far and remains uncomfortable and wax is not helping, call your orthodontist for a quick wire trim, they do it all the time. Best of luck.

Regards,
Cameron

[just-another-guy]

i remember i had that prob you can go to the drug store and get wax for the ends of the wires and that will help a lott i went to through soo much wax when i had my braces

[Pudd]

Yes i do recall getting a little case of wax. Ill try that later, i just got back from my operation, my mouth hurts x.x
About the stitches they used, a nurse said they will dissolve, how long will this take? I hate stiches, just thinking about them makes me feel sick, I want them to be gone as soon as possible. are there any ways to speed up the dissolving process?

[AutumnDae]

I'm not sure about the stitches, but about the wire poking your cheeks, it can be fixed. The orthodontist usually bends the wire so that it won't stick you, but sometimes it isn't completely done. Have you parents or yourself call and tell them what's happening, my orthodontist just has me come in for a quick 5 minute appointment to fix the wire by turning it so that it doesn't poke anymore.

[CarnivorousBat]

that used to happen to me. next time you go tell them to cut it to the bracket

[PainUnreal]

I hate that... I got a massive hole in the inside of my cheek from it during band season that hurt and bled a lot...
To fix it, you can either (a) break out the wax, (b) wait it out until your next appointment, or (c) just walk in and tell them that the wires are poking you and they'll cut them in like two minutes for free. And if its really dire situation and you don't have wax and its saturday when the office is closed, then use nail clippers or wire cutters at home and disinfect them with cleaning alcohol before you use them, which will basically do the exact same thing, but you run the risk of accidentally missing or hurting yourself or something, so only use that as a last resort, but I've done it no problem one time.

[emt.Cam]

You have stitches that dissolve? If I remember correctly, when I broke my femur I had those stitches and it took a week or two. This was also well over 8 years ago so I may be a little off but 1-2 weeks is about how long it takes for your body to dissolve them.

[Kitty Purry]

This sometimes happens to me but not alot :D if it bugs you enough that it needs to be fixed you can usuallu just call your orthdontics and thell hav ya come in, and it takes less than 10 mins and they fix they wire so taht it isnt causing you pain any more :D