My child needs braces

Hi Ali,

My son is 8 yrs old and got his braces put on in last year. He complained a bit about the pain on the first few days but it was manageable with Advil or Tylenol. When he gets his braces tightened, he is fine for the first few hours and then has a bit of pain for the next couple of days,but again it is manageable with Tylenol. He eats softer foods on the days following his Ortho appointment and is usually back to eating "normal" food in two or three days. He says his mouth is sensitive while brushing after a tightening as well. However every child is different as is their pain tolerance. Good luck to you and your son. I do think if his dentist thinks he should get the braces he should, it has helped my son so much and his self esteem is much higher than it was before braces.
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Niles periodontist

There are complications from braces but properly managed they should not occur. One of the biggest things I see in practice is children who do not brush and clean their teeth properly. This can lead to white decalcifications on the teeth that can be permanent and not very cosmetic. A complication from not getting braces can actually be much worse. Studies show that teeth that are mis-aligned can lead to future periodontal disease and bone loss because of the way that they can hit against eachother over time. Many children that get braces do not have significant discomfort and do not require pain medication at all but depending on the movement needed and the situation some adjustments are more sensitive than others.