Braces have advanced by leaps and bounds to become much more effective and comfortable than ever before. Despite this, the brackets can still rasp against the inside of your lips and cheeks and leave sores on these soft tissues. Not only does this irritation cause discomfort, but these open cuts can potentially become infected and cause serious problems if left untreated. Thankfully, it’s easy to keep your mouth healthy and comfortable while you straighten your smile. Here’s how to prevent soft tissue irritation and what you can do if you find yourself with mouth sores from braces.

Preventing Mouth Sores from Braces

While irritation to the oral soft tissues is common with braces, it’s not inevitable. A few simple precautions can go a tremendously long way in protecting your smile from discomfort, like:

• Orthodontic wax: Perhaps the most common method is orthodontic wax, which can be applied directly on top of the sharp parts of your braces. This forms a smooth, typically opaque barrier between your braces and your sensitive soft tissues.
• Dental silicone: Like dental wax, dental silicone can be placed on brackets to form a shield between the braces and soft tissues to prevent discomfort.
• Great oral hygiene: Aside from preventing scratches and cuts, you need to practice great oral hygiene to clear away the bacteria that could potentially aggravate these wounds. Be sure to brush for two minutes twice a day and floss thoroughly daily.
• Drink lots of water: Drinking plenty of water is another great way to clean out any lingering sugars, acids, and bacteria in your mouth throughout the day.  

Managing Soft Tissue Irritation from Braces

If you do find yourself with sores in your mouth from braces, there are several things you can do to relieve pain and help your smile heal, including:

• Rinse your mouth out with special rinses: Rinses are a very effective way to clean out the injured tissues and clear away bacteria. You can rinse with warm salt water, a baking soda and water solution, or a store-bought mouthwash designed to reduce inflammation and treat infection.
• Avoid spicy and acidic foods: Not only are spicy and acidic foods likely to cause your mouth sores intense pain, but they slow down your natural healing process.
• Use a numbing oral gel: OTC oral numbing gel can be applied directly onto irritated tissues in the mouth, which numbs discomfort while they heal and toughen from the abrasion.
• Take OTC pain relivers: Your orthodontist may recommend taking certain over-the-counter pain relivers to ease inflammation and reduce discomfort in your mouth.

Getting a straighter, healthier smile shouldn’t be uncomfortable! Keep these tips and tricks in mind for dealing with mouth sores while wearing braces.

About the Practice

Dr. Carla Hamilton and her talented team here at Simply Orthodontics are proud to care for smiles of all ages in Dayville. We offer a variety of orthodontic treatments that can be tailored to meet every patients’ unique needs and goals. To help make the road towards achieving optimal oral health as smooth and pleasant as possible, we’ll be more than happy to provide personalized tips for keeping your orthodontic treatment effective and comfortable. If you have mouth sores from braces, don’t hesitate to contact us online or at (860) 774-2008.