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I got my upper braces 5 weeks ago. Life with braces was just getting comfortable. I was able to eat pretty much everything as usual, except that I had to cut my food into smaller pieces and slow down. Yesterday I had pizza for dinner.
Today I got my lower braces and two resin bite pads on my molars . I was told that I will have to have these on for the next 6 months. The bite pads are supposed to prevent me from knocking down the lower brackets. Eating is a huge challenge. I am not able to bite or chew. I just had some soup for dinner.
When I try to bite, it feels like I am biting on plastic.
Has anyone had these bite pads? I am wondering if I am going to be able to adjust to them and start eating normal braces friendly food soon. I am not looking forward to the liquid diet for the next 6 months.
I can totally relate! I don't have bite pads, but I have bite turbos on my cuspuds to prevent me from biting my lower brackets. My back teeth don't touch so there is zero chewing surface. Since being braced a month ago I have lost 7 pounds (I am at 125 now so I can't imagine losing anymore). I can't get down any kind of meat so I have been eating lots of pasta and anything I can smash or push against my teeth with my tounge. I am really getting sick and tired of mashed potatoes, never thought I would say that! I hope someone that has had them longer says it gets better.
Give it a few weeks... I'm not entirely sure what happens... but you'll be able to chew again. I've had stuff (I've heard it called so many names) bonded to my molars since early September (because I bit a bracket off and I needed to correct a crossbite) and I can chew just fine. The first couple of weeks I thought I'd be eating Cream of Wheat forever... but you'll get used to it and before you know it you'll be celebrating another slice of pizza.
Metal Braces: August 18, 2006-January 14, 2009
Essix-type Retainers: January 14, 2009--present
Hah! I'm reading sympathising wildly with you as I am sucking my soup and have my smoothie in front of me for desert! I'm a braces newbie since monday and have these two blobs at the back of my molars too. Can't chew a thing and as I have lingual braces on the top this adds another challenge. So I slurp and push soft stuff to the back of my mouth and wash it down. Oh how attractive. My boyfriend can't wait to take me out for dinner ...... Even the parsley in my soup is proving difficult. Somehow these horrid things prevent proper swallowing in my case.
So to all you fellow sufferers - it's not fun - we're going to have to be very inventive to make soup interesting for the next few months .....
I can relate. I have a bite plate (chunk of plastic stuff behind my top front teeth held there by thick wires that attach to my molar bands) and I have to admit eating was quite a challenge at first, but it has gotton better. Chewing isn't as difficult as biting (for me anyways) I learned how to chew in about a month, but biting certain foods is still kinda difficult, but you may not have the same problems, I don't really know how much space your bite pads take up. I can eat almost anything without problems, especially if I cut it up. The hardest things to eat are veggies on burgers or sandwiches. I just can't bite all the way through them!
Don't worry, it will get better and you won't be on a liquid diet forever!
I have the "acclusal" pads, too, and they are a real pain (in more ways than one!). I was told that they are there to prevent me from breaking brackets (which I did the first night anyway) and to help shift the position of my lower jaw - big OUCH!!!!
I'm going to friends' for dinner tonight - should be interesting!!!
I have a similar bite pad. The ortho put some bonding cement on 2 of my molars because I was knocking off the brackets too. As I sit here, I'm doing the usual; rubbing my teeth together. I never did that before, but it's been hard to get used to them. I've had the cement for almost 6 months and can't wait until my next adjustment when she said they'll remove them. Best of luck. Although they're hard to get used to, they do serve their purpose well.
Well, since getting braced on Monday, I've graduated to chicken stew!!! What a treat to have meat again!!
The worst is the occlusal pads as my jaw is complaining bitterly about being in a new position! Oh well, I'm getting used to pizza pockets, soup, pudding and lots of water!
It's been 9 days with bite pads, top and lower braces. I am happy to report that I ate a chicken sandwich for dinner today. The bread was soft, but I still had to bite with my front and back teeth. The food choices are still limited to mostly soft food, but I discovered noodles, pasta, dumplings and rice are great soft foods. Living in a big cosmopolitan city, I have all kinds of food available and life with braces is looking good. I am looking forward to eating sushi and the Christmas turkey dinner.
Anyhow if you are reading this because you have or are getting braces or bite pads, don't worry you don't have to drink milkshakes all the time. Just use your knife and fork, cut your food and enjoy.
I've had a bite plate on a top back molar on each side since I got the braces in July. They did take some time to adjust to, but I've found I just accomodated food by using other teeth for more aggressive chewing (since the plates make it pretty difficult for food to be broken down). With jaw complications, that was a bit tough at first, but it's way easier now.
I have faith in my ortho's decision to put the plates in. I have yet to break a bracket *knock on wood* and I bite hard in my sleep. I've managed to slightly chip a tooth from the biting, but I bet I would have had more damage without those plates. Now I just have plastic plates with some bumps I can feel with my tongue lol.
. I was told that I will have to have these on for the next 6 months. The bite pads are supposed to prevent me from knocking down the lower brackets. Eating is a huge challenge. I am not able to bite or chew. I just had some soup for dinner. 
