How many hours after appliance placement does orthodontic pain peak?

 # How many hours after appliance placement does orthodontic pain peak?

A. 10 minutes.

B. 1 hour.

C. 24 hours.

D. 48 hours.

The correct answer is C. 24 hours.

It is generally considered that orthodontic pain starts at around 2 hours after appliance placement, with some studies reporting that this is the case for between 91% and 97% of orthodontic patients. It then usually peaks at 24 hours before gradually subsiding over the next 5 to 7 days. Interestingly, it would seem that up to 25% of orthodontic patients report experiencing pain for longer than 7 days.