Does this help?

[Night Elf]

The orthodontist assistant told my dd to take ibuprofen a half hour before her appointment. The adjustment always hurts. Does pre-medicating really help? When she takes the ibuprofen after the appt., it still doesn't take the pain away completely. I'm thinking of having her try Tylenol this time, but does she take it before or after the appointment?

[unsinkable]

The orthodontist assistant told my dd to take ibuprofen a half hour before her appointment. The adjustment always hurts. Does pre-medicating really help? When she takes the ibuprofen after the appt., it still doesn't take the pain away completely. I'm thinking of having her try Tylenol this time, but does she take it before or after the appointment?

Yes, ibu beforehand has helped my DD.

 

But, she takes it between 1.5 and 2 hours beforehand. A half-hour, IMO, would not start working quickly enough.

[Seasider]

Take it an hour ahead, that will give more time for it to kick in and prevent it from irritating the esophagus when she's laying back in the chair. 

[Starr]

Our ortho says two over the counter ibus are not enough and gives 600 or 800 milligrams. Honestly sometimes it is just going to be a bit sore no matter what you take. 

[EKS]

I recently heard its even better if you take it the night before and then again an hour before the procedure in the morning.  This is from my sons' orthodontist.

 

Many years ago when I used to run every day, I noticed that if I took ibuprofen the night before for a headache, the next day on my run I felt so good.  So I believe there is something to the night before thing.

[Pawz4me]

The orthodontist assistant told my dd to take ibuprofen a half hour before her appointment. The adjustment always hurts. Does pre-medicating really help? When she takes the ibuprofen after the appt., it still doesn't take the pain away completely. I'm thinking of having her try Tylenol this time, but does she take it before or after the appointment?

 

That's the standard recommendation at the boys' orthodontist.  Oldest DS always had considerable discomfort for a day or two after an adjustment.  Youngest has a higher pain tolerance and thinks it's no big deal at all.  Most of the time he doesn't even bother to take any ibuprofen prior to an appointment.

[Lizzie in Ma]

It helps, but won't kill the pain completely. 

[Night Elf]

I'll tell her. She's willing to try anything. The worst pain is from her mousetrap, the contraption that is pulling the eye tooth out of the roof of her mouth. Poor girl.

[Rebel Yell]

It will probably help.  I have always found it takes less medicine to keep the pain away than it does to get ride of it- meaning, 1-2 Ibuprofens before an appointment can prevent having to take 4-6 after.

 

Same goes for girls and cramps. An ibuprofen and maybe an Alleve at the first sign, another ibuprofen 4 hours later is often all they need.  If they wait until the cramps get bad, it;s 2 ibuprofens every 4-6 hours for 2 days, and it never really stops hurting.