Pain in the Braces

The blond twin had something the orthodontist calls an "appliance" put into her mouth. It is supposed to help realign her jaw as the braces straighten her teeth. The end result should be a more aligned bite and straighter teeth.
We knew this appliance was coming. Most of her appointments during the past year have been moving us towards this step. What I don't think any of us really understood was how difficult it was going to be for the blond twin. The appliance is a multi-part metal insert that sits behind her bottom teeth. She also has something that looks like springs around her molars. These things are screwed together.
She is, as you might expect, completely miserable. The orthodontist said that she would be in pain for up to a week as her mouth adjusts to the appliance. She struggles to eat since it hurts to chew. Anything crunchy results in small pieces being stuck between the appliance and her bottom teeth.
The blond twin is taking pain killers, although those only seem to dull the pain. She wakes up crying because the pain keeps her from sleeping.
In the meantime we've adjusted our food to include more soft foods like pasta and fewer crunchy foods like tacos. We are trying to shift our food so it is easier for the blond twin to eat, without making her feel like she's creating problems. We have lots of options that everyone likes, so we will shift back and forth as needed.
It is wrenching to see her suffer with her appliance. We are a few days into the year she will have to wear the appliance. We know it will get better, but not quickly enough.