Fitting is painless; the ache after fitting and adjustments lasts a few days.
NHS guidance says teeth may be sore for a few days after braces are fitted, and recommends soft food and painkillers during that stretch. The same ache returns, usually milder, after each 6 to 8 week adjustment, because that is the moment the orthodontist reactivates the pressure that moves your teeth. Rubbing sores from brackets are common early and orthodontic wax covers them. The NHS line for what is not normal: pain persisting more than a few days after fitting or adjustment, very red or swollen gums, or a broken brace, all worth a call to your orthodontist.
What to do
Common questions
Do braces hurt?
Getting them put on does not hurt, but the few days after do, and so do the first days after each adjustment. The NHS says teeth may be sore for a few days after braces are fitted, and you may need soft food and painkillers during that time. Expect the same pattern after each 6 to 8 week tightening appointment, usually milder than the first round. The soreness is pressure: the wires are pulling teeth through bone, and tender-to-bite teeth are the sign it is working. The brackets can also rub ulcers into your cheeks and lips early on, which orthodontic wax over the sharp spots fixes. What is not normal, per NHS advice: pain lasting more than a few days after fitting or adjustment, very red, swollen, or painful gums, or broken parts, all of which mean contact your orthodontist. Most people report the soreness fading within a week and each subsequent adjustment hurting less, as they learn the rhythm: soft food, wax, painkillers for a day or two, then forget about them.