Metal Mouth Message Board

Hey everyone. Decided to use this excellent resource for some feedback. I am wondering how long everyone had "tender teeth" after bracing and when you were able to get back into more normal food.

I have severe crowding and had 8 spacers and my front brackets put on on March 4, 2009. March 5th and March 12th I had 3 teeth pulled each day (3 wisdom and 3 bicuspids). March 18th I had most of the spacers removed and molar bands placed (except for one quadrant where my wisdom extraction site hadn't healed). So today is March 26th and my upper jaw has been "finished" for a week and my lower jaw has 2 spacers still and they will come out next week and molar bands placed.

Basically, I have been on a soft foods diet for over 3 weeks, and I am just curious how long it will generally last. I will be travelling a lot for work in April and won't have access to my staples of smoothies, mashed potatoes and soup. Really looking forward to eating somewhat normally again soon.

Thanks for any feedback!!

Rachelle

Hey,

I have had my braces for almost a month now and i still cant really eat totally normally. I eat chicken sometimes but even that hurts. I am going to CA for work next week so i feel your pain. i do eat a lot of soft veggies and fish because thats easy to chew.

Good luck!

Hi. I have ha my braces for a month now. The first 2-3 weeks my teeth were very sore, chewing anythign was painful. But then one day it went away I think it was around the 3 week mark.. now I eat pretty much what I ate before except I cut up harder and bigger foods like apple, burger.
I am trying to enjoy this time because my adjustment is coming up and I hear the teeth go back to being sore after that =/

This seems to vary a bit from person to person. As for me, I've been very lucky what eating concerns. I was able to eat as normal within one week after having the braces. Let's hope it goes fast for you as well

I could eat normally about a week after getting my braces on. I couldn't eat normally at all until the spacers came out though.

took me about a month or so

even then my teeth r still tender and sensitive

i avoid food i ahve to bite into like sandwhiches n burgers

sometimes i even cut them up to eat with my side teeth

also after my wires are replaced are the best times to eat because the teeth feel tight and stronger

I was eating normally after about 8-9 days, with some tenderness when I tried to eat crunchy foods. It's been 2 weeks now, and I'm eating anything.

marycotter: best of luck with your next adjustment. yes the teeth do get sensitive and a bit soar again but it shouldn't be nearly as bad as when you first got your braces on! You may just have to stick with softer foods for a day or so!

Even if you have one upper and lower molar that is not too sore, you can eat normal foods by cutting it in small pieces and chewing it with those molars. You will be using your other teeth somewhat and this will help them get used to the chewing and the pain won't last as long.
This is what I do about 3 days after each adjustment.

I remember not being able to put any pressure on any of my teeth for 2 weeks, and from there on i could only mush some stuff with my back molars. (as it was, i was mushing everything with the back of my fork, pasta and rice included!)

Took about a month before i could do anything that resembled 'normal chewing'

Thanks everyone. It is getting a bit better, but still not great....between the tender teeth and bizarre bite issues I seem to have developed! But I am finally going Wednesday for my final brackets to be added (which were delayed due to wisdom teeth removal).

I have had spacers in my bottom jaw now for 4 weeks! Maybe that is some kind of a record! They probably are a source of some pain, but I honestly can't tell anymore!

I am off to Rome this weekend for a conference so will definately enjoy all the pasta dishes for a while!

Rachelle