I have braces, and I'm 22. I also got braces for my TMJ, but I'm hoping that I'll be getting them off very, very soon.
I agree with everyone with the tylenol and wax. Also be careful with the wax because it's just plain gross. It's hard (at least for me) to remove it from between the braces. Yuck. Sometimes I use oragel for extreme pain. I often have springs on my bands, which really hurt the mouth. Also try babyfood. It's reasonably cheap and have some good tasting stuff!
Remind him that braces are temporary and that there will be a payoff when it's done. Just tell him to stick in there, and maybe get him something fun to keep his mind off of it.
