What Are the Side Effects of Braces?

Soreness. The teeth feel tender for two to four days after the braces are fitted and after most adjustments. It is described in more detail in do braces hurt.

Mouth ulcers and rubbing. Brackets and wires press on the lips and cheeks, particularly in the first few weeks, until the soft tissue toughens. Orthodontic wax over the rubbing spot helps, and warm salt-water rinses can ease it.

Speech and eating changes. A slight lisp or awkwardness with some words is common with removable or lingual appliances and settles in days to a couple of weeks. Chewing is more awkward until you are used to it.

A poking wire. An end of the wire can work loose and jab the cheek. Do not cut it yourself. Press it down with a cotton bud or cover it with wax and call the clinic.

Brackets and wires trap plaque, and plaque left against the enamel causes white chalky marks (decalcification), cavities and inflamed, swollen gums. These are not side effects of the braces themselves but of cleaning being harder around them, and they are the ones that you can most influence.

Brush after meals, use a small interdental brush or floss threader, and keep up with hygiene visits during treatment. A fluoride toothpaste is standard, and some orthodontists advise a fluoride rinse. How to remove plaque from teeth covers the technique.

White marks, once formed, may fade somewhat but do not always disappear completely, so preventing them is far easier than treating them.

Root shortening (root resorption). Moving a tooth can cause a small amount of its root to shorten. Mild shortening is common and usually has no effect on the tooth, but occasionally it is greater, which is why your orthodontist watches it on X-rays and may pause treatment. Longer treatment and heavy forces raise the risk.

Gum recession and bone loss. Teeth moved in gums that are inflamed from untreated gum disease can lose supporting bone. That is the reason gum health is checked and treated before braces start.

Dead tooth nerve. Very rarely, a tooth that has had a previous knock can darken or need a root canal during treatment. Tell your orthodontist about any old injury.

Unexpected extractions. Some crowded cases need teeth removed to make space. This is planned in advance and explained before you begin.

The most avoidable side effect is relapse, where teeth drift back after the braces are removed. It is not a fault of the treatment. It is a consequence of stopping retention too early, and it is dealt with by wearing retainers as advised. The full answer is in retainers after braces.

Mouthguards also matter if you play contact sports, since a blow to the mouth with braces on can cut the lips and cheeks badly.

Call for a broken or loose bracket, a poking wire you cannot settle with wax, or a swallowed bracket piece that is causing discomfort. A single loose bracket is not an emergency but it is worth fixing soon, because treatment stalls while it is off.

Seek care the same day for swelling of the face, a fever, or pain that keeps getting worse, and go to a hospital emergency department if there is difficulty breathing or swallowing. These are uncommon with braces but should not be left. More on how treatment works is on the braces and orthodontics page.