“How do you relieve pain from a retainer?”

Retainer by their nature should not be painful. If you have not worn your retainer thus teeth were allowed to move away from the position from which the retainer was made there will be sensitivity. This sensitivity will go away when begin wearing it full time or if you take some of the over the counter medications for head pain.

This really just depends on why your retainer is causing you pain... it could be because part of it is jabbing you in the gums, or because your teeth have shifted and the retainer is putting pressure on your teeth to push them back. If there is a piece that is poking you, an orthodontist could help adjust that for you, or if your teeth have shifted, you may have to wear your retainer full time for a while to get your teeth to move back before they feel better. Also, if your teeth have shifted enough, wearing your ill-fitting retainer may actually do more harm than good... a visit with an orthodontist could help clear things up.

If it is tooth pain you should wear the retainer full time and use ibuprofen or acetaminophen as needed. The teeth are moving like an adjustment of braces and the soreness will subside. If the pain is in the soft tissue you should see your orthodontist and have the retainer adjusted.

Call your orthodontist. That needs to be evaluated in person.

If the pain is occurring in a previously comfortable retainer, it is likely the retainer was damaged or the teeth have changed (perhaps due to an infection). For this type of scenario it is best to see your Orthodontist as quickly as possible. If the pain is mild to moderate muscle type ache associated with changing to a new Invisalign style retainer, take an appropriate ibuprofen or Tylenol dose and anticipate the pain should reduce within three days. If the new Invisalign retainer is not comfortable in 5 days, cease wearing it and call your Orthodontist.

Hello,

Retainers normally don’t cause pain. You should have it checked out by a dentist.

Steinway Family Dental Center

The normally expected amount of discomfort from a well-fitted retainer should be mild, but it can be up to a moderate amount of pain if it is not worn according to your doctor's prescriptions (for example: full-time wear of more than 21 hours per day during a period of weeks or months right after you received the retainer). If such pain or discomfort is expected by your doctor, you may generally take a pain medication that you usually use safely for headaches for relief (for example, Aleve, Advil or Tylenol or their generic versions, NOT to combine AND NOT to exceed the recommended dosages, and best taken with food & plenty of water). If the pain is not expected from your doctor, please be sure to speak to your Orthodontic Provider with your concerns and questions!