Ask an Expert: Mouth sores from braces

Braces

Mouth sores from braces
12/26/2006

Question:

I have had metal braces on my top and bottom teeth for about a year, and I have very painful sores and lesions in my mouth. The inside of my cheek is lined with sores where each bracket touches my mouth. I also sometimes get really painful sores on my tongue.

Is it normal to still be in this much pain? I use dental wax but I go through it really fast and have to take it out to eat, and I can`t reach the brackets at the back. I feel like the braces are interfering with my life more than they should; I play saxophone, but I get sores even when I avoid playing for a while. Is this normal? Is there anything I can do about it? Thank You

Answer:

First let me address the musical instrument. Most musicians with braces have to go through a period of adjustment until the lips and cheeks toughen up. So not much we can recommend there.

As for irritation from the braces, I would ask the orthodontist to carefully check the edges of the brackets to make sure there are no burs or rough edges. Sometimes these can be smoothed with a rubber wheel operated by the orthodontist. Sometimes a wire will protrude through the end of the molar tube, so this should be checked.

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Response by:

Walter C Buchsieb, DDS, MS
Professor Emeritus - Clinical, Associate of Dentistry
College of Dentistry
The Ohio State University