Less Mouth Pain and Cuts with Invisalign than Braces

One factor you may consider when deciding between Invisalign® and braces is the potential for mouth pain and cuts. You may have a lot of concern about discomfort when correcting the alignment of your teeth. Not only can there be discomfort from moving the teeth into place, but also the corrective device can rub the skin inside the mouth. The skin on the inside of the mouth is delicate. Alignment devices rubbing against the skin can cause painful cuts and sores to develop.

The pain of traditional braces

Most patients say the first week of braces or an adjustment is the worst. The braces and wires can rub against parts of the mouth. They may create cuts, sores, and even ulcers. Patients cannot do much to avoid this mouth pain. Dentists will recommend the patient use dental wax to coat the sore spots until the skin has become tougher.

The mouth sores and ulcers that develop with traditional braces can make eating and drinking painful. Patients may need to rinse their mouths often with a special mouthwash or with saltwater. Sometimes, even these techniques are not enough, and the ulcers worsen. Patients that cannot resolve these open sores will need to go back to the dentist’s office to have them checked.

Sometimes, cuts and sores develop after the first week. Traditional braces use brackets, wires, and springs to move the teeth. If any of these come loose, they can cut the mouth and cause a lot of pain. Patients can use dental wax to temporarily protect the cut area until the dentist can repair a bent or loose piece.

How Invisalign minimizes mouth pain

The dentist uses a digital mapping tool to engineer a patient’s Invisalign trays. This allows the dentist to create a custom fit for a patient’s mouth. Invisalign trays do not use any metal brackets and wires that stick out and poke the gums and cheeks. Sometimes, the new trays do have sharp edges. When this happens, dentists recommend patients give the sharp edges a gentle buff with very fine sandpaper. Not every patient has this issue.

Traditional braces are not removable at home, but Invisalign trays are. Patients should take them out when eating and while brushing. The dentist designs the trays to fit very closely in the mouth. The close fit can make them difficult to remove. Long nails can also make it difficult for a patient to remove the trays without cutting the gums. Patients can avoid these painful problems by using a removal tool.