Avoiding Embarrassment while Eating

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#1 Post by **tsmurfenator** » Sat Jan 16, 2010 8:28 pm

I've had braces for one month, for the most part I am not self-conscious about them at all, and love smiling. Except for one thing: eating!!! (during & after) Now I can eat anything, although almost all of the food I eat is the type which gets stuck everywhere.

I am always very self-conscious I have something stuck in my braces. Seems whatever I eat is getting stuck in them. For something like a snack at the office, I stand around covering my mouth with hand until I confirm my teeth are OK.

I carry a compact mirror and constantly look at it while eating (like every bite). But somehow most people manage without this? Seems people have intuition about whether something is stuck in their braces (and removing it with their tongue)? Is there any trick to this?

#2 Post by **Snowglobe32** » Sat Jan 16, 2010 9:18 pm

The trick for me is just knowing what your braces feel like in your mouth so when you run your tongue over your teeth you can tell when something is there, that shouldn't be. It takes practice but it works.

I was selfconscious in the beginning about getting stuff stuck but I don't really care anymore. Everyone I eat meals with knows I have braces and they don't seem to notice if there is food in my braces or at least, no one has told me yet. I even ask them if I have anything in my braces. It is just one of the things you deal with when you have braces.

Usually when I can tell I have something stuck, I use my tongue to get it out and they don't notice. If I stop eating for a while, I may say I have something stuck but they really don't care either way. I never break out a mirror to check my teeth when I am sitting in front of someone, if we are still eating, it just seems rude and gross to me. If I can't get something out, I get up and go to the restroom.

I do have a compact mirror also that I check after I eat but mostly when I eat, I use my molars. I don't bite into alot of things, just because I know stuff will get stuck, so I just break a piece off or cut it into smaller pieces and chew with the back teeth.

#3 Post by **tsmurfenator** » Sun Jan 17, 2010 8:30 am

Thanks for the ideas Snowglobe32

"I never break out a mirror to check my teeth when I am sitting in front of someone, if we are still eating, it just seems rude and gross to me. "

Rude and gross?

I didn't think it was so bad. I'm talking a quick discrete glance into a compact mirror.

#4 Post by **Lanna** » Sun Jan 17, 2010 11:25 am

Hahaha
This is actually a cute post for me as I worry about it too, but like PP said, usually I run my tongue along the brackets and can tell. After I eat, I excuse myself and go to the restroom and check. I wouldn't check after each bite, as this seems a bit excessive and won't do you any good, since you have to eat more anyways.

Cutting the food up though does help a lot as you won't have to bite with your front teeth and keeps a lot of food from getting stuck where anyone would notice right away. I just try not to show my teeth (smiling at others, etc. ) while I'm eating just in case.
I hate to say it, but I wouldn't like sitting across from someone after eating and them picking at their teeth while holding a little mirror. So I don't do that, just so it isn't considered rude/gross. Just my opinion though, some people don't mind. I would rather they do that in a private place, or in the restroom if they can. Not meaning to offend at all, just stating my opinion!

Lana

#5 Post by **Bellalalala** » Sun Jan 17, 2010 6:12 pm

I don't think it's rude to use a mirror and check your teeth.

I usually prefer to slip out to the rest-room, but if I have to, I'll pop out my mirror quickly. I do, however, always ask my dinner guests to excuse my mirror-ing.
I just humbly say "please excuse me, I have to check my teeth quickly, it's a side effect of braces."

#6 Post by **evilnel** » Sun Jan 17, 2010 9:04 pm

It does seem a little odd to eat basically with a mirror in hand. I don't know how you can NOT tell when there's food stuck! I haaaate that feeling and I can tell if there's even a little food stuck! The best thing I can suggest is to break things/use a fork to eat so that you basically chew with the back of your mouth rather than biting into things, then at least you don't have food hanging off the front of your braces. I think most people don't really notice anyway, but the fork trick seems to work well, except obviously with sandwiches or burgers. I feel so gross when I eat them, but I love them!

#7 Post by **Snowglobe32** » Sun Jan 17, 2010 11:41 pm

Let me clarify when I said my rude and gross comment...

I have a co-worker who checks her teeth AND brings out the dental floss and uses it at the table. Now that is gross.

Just checking your braces in a mirror is fine, I do that but I excuse myself to the restroom if there is something I can't get out on my own.

#8 Post by bb » Mon Jan 18, 2010 6:52 pm

I swish with water often during eating.

#9 Post by **hae703** » Mon Jan 18, 2010 8:43 pm

I swish with water when I'm out, but I also tend to hide my mouth when I'm around other people and eating because even with the water I'll look in a mirror later and see there was stuff I missed. It seems like the ceramic uppers get little dark pieces of food stuck in them that are more noticable than on the metal brackets.

I'm taking a vacation in the fall to Disney (during Epcot's International Food & Wine Festival so I'll be eating a lot) and I'm going to have to figure out what I should bring along in my purse to take care of this.

Heather

Mon Jan 18, 2010 9:22 pm

With me, I can usually sense if something is stuck on my brackets or wires. I just have that feeling that something is different. I'm usually correct, but I've been braced for well over a year so I've had time to practice. Like everyone else is saying, you just gotta kinda get the feel of your braces when you're not eating so you'll know what they're supposed to feel like afterwards. The technique isn't perfect though as I've sported lettuce-surrounded braces a few times after eating salads and burgers, lol....no one seemed to notice, though--that or they were afraid to say anything!