Metal Mouth Message Board

Hey everyone!

My stomach is going crazy right now, hence why my topic title is the first thing that came into my head. I'm very new to braces; I only got them just over a week ago - well, technically only my uppers are wired; my lower simply have the brackets. I'll be getting the wire next week since I had to have some pre-molars removed 2 days ago. Wah.

I have to say, I'm so surprised by the amount of people who opt for braces in their later years; at 26, I thought that even I was pushing it a little! I had a quick look around here before joining, only to realise that there are a few people in their 60s with braces; that's amazing! Although the initial shock of "what have I done?!" was a bit of a killer the moment I stepped out of the orthos clinic, I have to say that already I feel like it's the best decision I've made in a while. All the way through my teenage years I was dying to get my teeth sorted out, I mean, they aren't terrible, but they're not perfect. I can't help myself, but whenever I talk to someone I look at their teeth. I guess I just always wanted to know that I could talk or smile or laugh and not feel that slight bit of self-consciousness. Now I've taken the plunge, and I just can't wait to see the end results.

Now, just to get past the liquid food stage...

I'm still learning how to chew with just one surface on each side. I didn't need extractions, but I do remember when I had my wisdom teeth out just before Thanksgiving when I was 23. Everybody else got tacos, pico de gallo, salad, guacamole, chips....I got biscuits n gravy and mashed potatoes. Then I ended up with dry sockets.

Word from experience...keep the sockets irrigated. And if they start to hurt, even a week or so later, put a little gauze over them.

I'm still too chicken to try to eat a grilled cheese sandwich. That burger yesterday was the first "solid" food I tried to eat since having the hardware installed. Napkins are your friend. Use them liberally.

Do you notice yourself drooling more when you're trying to sleep? Two nights now, I've woken up with spit running into my ear. Ick.

I had all my wisdom teeth removed about 5 or 6 years ago, but for some reason, I don't remember suffering as much discomfort as I am now. It's been 5 days since I had the extractions; my gums aren't hurting, but they do niggle first thing in the morning. I'm getting by without painkillers, so I'm really hoping I won't develop dry socket; I decided to freak myself out by reading everything I could about it, and I'm being extra careful. (Although, I did eat some filo pastry yesterday - I won't do that again any time soon!) I don't think I'll allow myself to eat any solid food until the holes are pretty much closed up; I'm using my tongue and palate to squash my food right now!

Haha, yes! I do drool much more at night. It's not so bad now but the first night after getting my braces, I couldn't really close my lips properly over my teeth. I woke up in the morning with a damp pillow and thought I must have been crying in my sleep!

so i'm trying to survive and eat and because of this brackets were broken off and i just got them reglued.

so now i am soooooo incredibly hungry but i hate bothering w/the caution i'm forced to take and also the care afterwards. i can't believe my sloth overrateds my glutton...

Umm, pancakes. Folks, get yourselves some pancakes. Maybe an egg, over easy or scrambled. Yah.

It has been a week and 4 days since I was braced, and I cannot believe how many pancakes I have eaten. And mostly just on the one side. Pancakes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

And I don't even LIKE pancakes all that much. But I could not bear the thought of anything else, it all seemed too tricky.

I had a salad yesterday. That was REALLY slow going.

Tonight I had a small burger with onions and relish and mushrooms. Slow going again. I brought most of it home.

French fries are kind of good, they just fit right back there to my favorite chewing surface.

Drool. I am the Princess of Drool when I try to sleep.

I think I only have 102-1/2 weeks to go....

Real.