food and RPE?

Message

#1 Post by **sirithaeariel** » Sat Jun 16, 2007 5:20 pm

My RPE was installed yesterday and I've realized that food gets stuck up between the RPE and the roof of my mouth quiet easily. I'm expecting this is natural but is there anyway to avoid it? It really bothers me anytime I eat anything.

#2 Post by **science teacher** » Sun Jun 17, 2007 8:51 pm

Man I get that!!! I had a RPE for 6 months and now have a TPA,

My tips.
Use a fork. If you can put the food in straight to your molars you will push less up there than biting in to food. example- eat pizza with a fork.

Drink water with a straw while eating. the pressure of sucking water through the straw tends to dislodge food stuck.

Avoid long foods. Spaghetti, shredded lettuce, etc.

Otherwise you just deal. My tongue got pretty good at getting food out of the expander. If I couldn't get it out I could use the superfloss and get it out.

Kim

#3 Post by **Filip** » Mon Jun 18, 2007 4:06 am

I highly recommend gettinga WATERPIK, which is like a small high-pressure water gun. It is highly effective.

I LOVE IT !!!

#4 Post by **Graceful58** » Mon Jun 18, 2007 5:59 am

I second the water pik...I would go nuts without it! There is NO way to avoid getting food stuck, just something you must deal with. I've had my expander now for 8 wks and if I didn't have the water pik I would have the worst smelling breath in town. Get one!!

Best of luck,

#5 Post by **maia1orual** » Mon Jun 18, 2007 6:16 am

hey sirith, i don't know if you can avoid getting food stuck completely, but what science teacher said is pretty good about putting food as far back as you can. i also found that drinking between each bite . . .drinking LOTS between each bite is helpful for dislodging food. and kinda swishing the water around. (water is the best drink for this) but, thankfully it gets better! i've had my RPE for 6 months now and for the last month or so nothing has gotten stuck in it but rice and nuts. =)

another helpful tool besides a waterpik are something called "brushpicks."
they have one end that looks like a flattened christmas tree and fits under the RPE perfectly to get anything out from under it. i like them alot!!
i think GUM or Doctor's brand both make them, and you can buy them at any drugstore or Wal-Mart. hope it all gets better!

#6 Post by **Amburly** » Mon Jun 18, 2007 8:07 am

I had my RPE for 6 months and I think that was the worst part of braces. All the advice that people are giving is great. Another tip would be to not put big bites of food in your mouth. Your mouth is already full with braces and the expander so not much room for large pieces of food.

Things do get better and before you know it your RPE will be removed.

#7 Post by **sirithaeariel** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 8:48 pm

yeah, I've had friends near me that have gone through braces or are currently doing so and they all said (Even the ones with out a RPE) to piece foods, no more biting down into stuff...well not often. I think I have figured out how to do it now ^_^ I bought some plastic toothpick things and that helps getting stuff out as well. Thanks to everyone that helped ^_^