Well, eating sure isn't fun anymore...

[mmkay]

I think that food does not even taste the same.

Agree with that one. I immediately noticed food seemed a bit less 'tasty', and it wasn't something I expected. Perhaps something to do with food not being able to make it all around the mouth without getting stuck around the brackets/archwire.

[BraceForIt]

I eat much slower and my snacking has gone down. Because im pedantic with cleaning my train of thought now is 'you can snack but you will have to clean after!!!' and 'is this snack worth the time cleaning?'

With the food i eat, im chewing it with my back teeth as the front are much too sensitive to chew on right now. Im also conscious of my chewing habits with fear of breaking a bracket etc

At work i try to limit my snacks because its a pain to keep ducking out to clean.
my snacks of choice have changed, for the better.

[mysticgirl916]

I loved snacking too, my go-to snacks were Doritos (cool ranch or nacho cheese). These days I go for a soft chocolate bar like 3 Musketeers or Reese minis, but sometimes I do get away with hickory sticks

[Pisces1305]

Agreed! I don't snack and when I get hungry for a snack, I think about how much of a pain it is to chew that I find I'm not hungry anymore. :)

[embraced13]

I got my bicuspids removed and I'm starting to feel the wrath haha. Rice get stuck in the extraction gaps and I'm not even braces till tomorrow.

[SkizzyD]

Argh, yes!

Not only have I stopped snacking, I think whatever I do eat, only half of it reaches my stomach because the other half gets stuck in my braces/teeth and gets cleaned out LOL!

[GypsyCruiser]

I just got mine on today... and thus far eating sucks!! So does flossing...

Got mine yesterday and flossing is almost impossible. Its only been one day but I just can't floss my molars. How is it done? I tried youtube for instruction and I get s cartoonly instruction.....I want to see real people floss the back teeth.

[mmkay]

Got mine yesterday and flossing is almost impossible. Its only been one day but I just can't floss my molars. How is it done? I tried youtube for instruction and I get s cartoonly instruction.....I want to see real people floss the back teeth.

My orthodontist told me to floss under the wire and demonstrated by sticking floss under just about the easiest section. Well done there, buddy.

I've accepted that it takes me almost 20 mins to floss my teeth (while watching tv, using a small mirror). I'm not very dexterous.

I double fold the floss at the end, double fold it a second time and then twist/rub with fingers it in order to thicken and stiffen it (i.e. it's quadruple thick). Takes a few seconds and cheaper than special floss. Then I thread through the back gap and push the floss towards the front of my mouth until I can get a grip and unwind the folded floss. After flossing the gap I cut off used floss with scissors. Second from back one fold (double thickness) is sufficient, then no folding for the rest of the teeth. I cut off used floss with scissors after each gap is flossed.

Other people will say my method is too slow, and they're probably right :/ But you can try it until you experiment with alternatives (floss fish etc).

[Fidget77]

This is a bonus for me. I get my braces on Tuesday and am looking forward to the boost in my weight loss goal. A lack of snacking means it should be easier to lose the last couple pounds that I've been struggling to get off :)

[Fionisimma]

I've also stopped snacking as I cant imagine cleaning my teeth after snacking as well, that would mean I would spend my whole day cleaning teeth. I eat 3 square meals a day and clean after eating. It's a lot of work; brushing, flossing and mouth wash so I totally avoid snacking and it has been good for my weight as well

Yep.. and at work it simply isn't feasible to take 30mins to clean up after "real food"....

[Fionisimma]

Argh, yes!

Not only have I stopped snacking, I think whatever I do eat, only half of it reaches my stomach because the other half gets stuck in my braces/teeth and gets cleaned out LOL!

So true SkizzyD...

[chloespeaks]

I just got mine on today... and thus far eating sucks!! So does flossing...

Got mine yesterday and flossing is almost impossible. Its only been one day but I just can't floss my molars. How is it done? I tried youtube for instruction and I get s cartoonly instruction.....I want to see real people floss the back teeth.

two things that I use are:

dental floss threaders (and any kind of floss you like)
http://www.drugstore.com/products/prod. ... matchtype=

&
Glide threader floss (expensive but great if you like Gllide floss and are lazy too!) I use this on days where I feel I can't bear flossing

http://www.drugstore.com/products/prod. ... tid=312247

You have to thread into EVERY crevice between the brackets. very frustrating but you get used to it - please note all the people who would rather not snack

[catwanabee]

What I've caught myself doing more often now is ripping food into little pieces instead of biting on them so I chew less which means getting less stuff stuck in my teeth but I eat just as much. Jerky, chocolates, you name it but little pieces =]

[ScouseMan]

eating food has just become a commando mission for me!

[MelRoberg]

You are not alone.
I have had my braces for a month and have lost 2kgs just from not eating mindlessly.

It does suck, but I am hoping this engrains a good eating pattern for when the braces come off.