Metal Mouth Message Board

I have a couple of questions...

1) I've had my braces on for just over two weeks (17 days) - ceramics upper/metal lower. Should I be able to bite into foods by now? I am still breaking or cutting all my food as my front teeth are still sensitive. Just wondering what everyone else's experience is with this.

2) When my braces were put on, I noticed that I was biting down on my lower two front brackets. I told them this, and they put rubber 'bumpers' that go around the bracket so I am not biting down on my bracket. I took them off by myself yesterday as they were so stained (I know, I shouldn't remove anything on my own!). I think I subconsciously grind my teeth at night, because I woke up this morning with some serious pain on those four teeth involved (two top and bottom teeth) and they are still hurting. Is there any way to prevent this without using the rubber bumpers? The slightest bit of food colouring seems to stain them and my ortho is so busy, I don't have the option to keep going in to get them changed every few days.

I think the cutting stuff into small amounts you will take with you through treatment. depending on what you eat ...i dont how comfortable you will be with biting into certain things.

Grinding...I agree...like you Im almost hitting 3 weeks into treatment. I noticed for the first week pain in my back molars from where I either grind or clench throughout the night. I can also tell anymovement has been in the molars. I dont know about the rubber guards you were talking about. wanted to let you know you are not alone on these concerns...Im looking into my situation about it aswell.


Good luck with the teeth.

biting into hard and/or sticky stuff is just gonna be uncomfortable for the whole treatment - the pain in your front teeth will go away but you will probably be the whole time cutting sandwiches and stuff in small pieces -at least that's what I do. Otherwise it is so uncomfortable, plus you end up with half of the sandwich around your braces...

I seem to be the exception, but I could bite into pretty much anything after the first month or so of braces. I remember eating a bagel with a knife and fork around 10 days after I got my lowers, and I thought that was going to be the situation for the whole treatment time. But after a couple of weeks, this wasn't the case - the only time I have trouble is the day or two after an adjustment. I can bite into chips (crisps), sandwiches, matza, crackers, whatever!

After 17 days I could bite into anything without having to cut it up, so I guess it just depends. Good luck!

thunderkat - this was a good question and I'm glad you asked it. I've been wondering the same thing. I'm not able to bite into things very easily, but I have bad periodontal disease that caused my lower front teeth to be loose, so I assumed that was the problem. I'm sure that IS the problem, but it sounds like it's not the entire problem.

I can bite into some soft stuff. There is a deli near my office that has very soft rolls. I get the garlic cheese bread and can bite into it. (Actually, I bite onto it and tear the bites off - I can't bite all the way through.) I still wouldn't try an actual sandwich though, because I know I wouldn't be able to bite through turkey, lettuce, etc.

I'm sure that biting into apples or corn on the cob are not in my future!!

oh catfish: how i miss corn on the cob.

i seem to have issues with biting for a few day after an adjustment then it seems to be back to normal again. I can bite pretty much normally although i do have to cut up veggies and fruits cause it hurts to bite into them. steak is another tricky one but if i cut it up tiny enough then it seems to be fine. ya sandwhiches are a pain to eat because the bread always seem to get soggy and get stuck in the braces and i'm cleaning out for quite a while after. oh the joys of having braces!

Except for a couple of days after my adjustments, I can bite into pretty much anything. I have even eaten corn on the cob and ribs on the bone with my braces on....oh boy is that a mess to clean up!!!! I have not let anything stop me, granted I am more careful when eating somethings as I dont want to pop off any brackets...but go for it!!!!

When I first got braced I thought I wouldn't eat a burger until I got them off, within a few weeks I wasn't eating a burger and after a while you just eat whatever you want, so it didn't change at all for me really

I still have no strength in my front teeth to pull anything. Im still breaking things up and slinging them back in my mouth. It really has cut me back on my junk food. Which I guess is good.