When can I start eating properly again?

[vegathestar]

To be honest I can't care less. Even with sore teeth i'll still manage to chow down the hardest meat (although it hurts like helllll). I can eat everything except for fruits like apples. Those are the real killers. But usually the pain dies down in less than 5 days. Even after 5 days of ordeal, the soreness of certain teeth might come in again on random days in the month. The pain only really stop after 4 weeks. Maybe its only me though. I'm sure different people have different experience.

[senate]

I actually did not experience that much pain when I got my braces - some people just don't it turns out. For me It was the strength in my jaw and bite. I simply didn't have it anymore and its a very peculiar feeling when you just can't chew properly. I wasn't in pain but I just could not chew right. Approx 6 -7 weeks later I remember coming back from a trip out and feeling so hungry. We stopped off at a motorway station and I bought some boneless KFC fillets. This was the first time I kinda bit down on something chewy. Still some weakness but I could do it if I took my time. We're all different but that was my experience.

[CoryDaniels]

It usually takes a good solid week. Even now, whenever I get a wire change, it usually takes about a week before I am completely back to normal.

[Glandyover]

It took me a couple of days but I'm stubborn as hell so that helped. I eat crunchy granola bars for breakfast every day out of habit and I wasn't gonna give that up.

[DivineDiva]

It took a week for me, too. I never really experienced pain, just some tenderness, but the worst was that my bite felt way off. Two weeks later and it's still slightly off, but my only problem now is breads and pastas forming layers against my braces. I'm still very careful biting into anything with my front teeth, for fear of them getting overly clogged and potentially dislodged. I am also avoiding the foods my ortho suggested, e.g. hard candy, chips, raw carrots, etc. I do east less now though, and weigh the benefits, especially when snacking, since it's just such an ordeal.

[ArchWired28]

It took me about one month after my braces were put in, and a week after each adjustment thereafter. Be patient. In the meantime, you can think of how great your teeth will look like when you are done.

[NICURN85]

It took me about a month and I still only eat things that are soft that I don't have to chew much because it is a pain to chew. I've lost weight also because of it.

[TMJJill]

It took me about a month as well. Those teeth can move fast during that time.