Braces people

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fridayjustleft04
fridayjustleft04 Posts: 851 Member
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I just got braces today, and as far as I can tell, I pretty much am going to die of starvation. I can't have anything hard (which includes pizza crust, apparently), nothing sugary, nothing acidic, and nothing sticky. I have no idea what I can eat beyond mac and cheese and yogurt. When you had them, or if you have them currently, what do you eat? (Oh..I'm a vegetarian.) Any basic tips in general? Thanks!

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  • erzsebet_1560
    erzsebet_1560 Posts: 166
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    I had braces and ate anything I wanted....I don't know why they would give you so many rules. I just brushed after every meal to get all the food leftovers out.LOL
  • Sweetlux
    Sweetlux Posts: 222 Member
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    Buy yourself a small mirror and carry it with you at all times. Check your teeth every 5 minutes. Buy wax and stuff it on the back teeth....trust me. Buy a really soft tooth brush.
  • fridayjustleft04
    fridayjustleft04 Posts: 851 Member
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    Buy yourself a small mirror and carry it with you at all times. Check your teeth every 5 minutes. Buy wax and stuff it on the back teeth....trust me. Buy a really soft tooth brush.
    They gave me a kit with all that stuff. Plus a free t-shirt so I could look like a "cool kid" (I'm 24) while giving them free advertising. Lol
  • purnurple
    purnurple Posts: 102
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    i have them and i eat whatever i want to. you can only not eat hard things right when you et them on or right after they tighten them. they will feel fine in 2 days and you can eat whatever you want. those candys they tell you, you can eat those but they get stuck easyer.
  • tmontgomery69
    tmontgomery69 Posts: 180
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    I just got braces today, and as far as I can tell, I pretty much am going to die of starvation. I can't have anything hard (which includes pizza crust, apparently), nothing sugary, nothing acidic, and nothing sticky. I have no idea what I can eat beyond mac and cheese and yogurt. When you had them, or if you have them currently, what do you eat? (Oh..I'm a vegetarian.) Any basic tips in general? Thanks!

    I had them about 2 yrs ago for a total of 27 months. You'll want to stick with soft foods for awhile until the pain subsides.....examples soups, mashed potatoes, puddings, cottage cheese, protein shakes.....believe it or not the more that you chew while your teeth hurt the quicker the pain subsides. Good luck to you! =)

    I ate everything except really chewy foods(chewy candy and regular gum was a no no). I did eat pizza with no problem while I had them tho.
  • fridayjustleft04
    fridayjustleft04 Posts: 851 Member
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    I'm starting to feel better about being able to eat pizza eventually. I don't think I could live for 3 years on oatmeal and pudding. lol..it'd be pretty good for my weight loss, though, I bet. :tongue:
  • summer_of_69
    summer_of_69 Posts: 28 Member
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    I just got my braces off last week after having them for 17 months! I feel your pain and worried about the same thing. Here's what I found:

    -The only things I avoided were whole apples, gum, and corn on the cob. But I would eat corn by cutting off the kernels and eating
    -Bread, rice, lettuce, and beans really stick to your teeth and braces. They are too yummy to avoid, though. So invest in a water pik to help get your braces nice and clean.

    My fave thing to eat with braces was greek yogurt - healthy, filling, and not sticky!

    Hope this helps,
    Summer
  • eracman
    eracman Posts: 22
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    I currently am a full grown working man with braces (1 1/2 years and counting). The first 2-3 weeks was the roughest. I remember thinking (rather dramatically) that I would never enjoy eating again. Buy some senodyne toothpaste to help alleviate the discomfort until you get used to them. Once you get past the first month or so you will get more comfortable with eating and you will eventually get to where you can eat almost anything you like (my exception is whole apples. I can't seem to handle the skin).

    As a ray of hope, I now can eat pizza, tacos, raw almonds, etc without issues.

    I second the need to check your teeth. I keep a small bag of toothpicks in my wallet for after meals.

    Good luck with the braces, and don't them stop you from eating the right kinds of food.
  • alslau02
    alslau02 Posts: 64
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    I had my braces put on in April and I am now able to eat most normal foods. Taffy and really sticky stuff will pull your brackets off and hard stuff like nuts could pry the brackets off. Basically you don't want to eat something that will remove a bracket or make it difficult to clean.

    Chewing does help relieve soreness as odd as that seems.
  • alslau02
    alslau02 Posts: 64
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    oh yeah... forgot about the juicer. I bought one the other day because it is easier to drink vegetables than eating them raw! I learned quickly to dilute the juice with water if I wanted to avoid digestion issues.
  • SKP1986
    SKP1986 Posts: 392 Member
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    I had braces for 4 years and ate pretty much whatever I wanted. The only time that I had trouble with it was when I went in to get them tightened, then I had to switch to softer stuff for a few days before I was able to chew properly. I had pretty messed up teeth, though, so the movement seemed really extreme for me. Tylenol/aspirin was my best friend and the wax was a life saver. Those things will tear up your mouth pretty bad sometimes.

    Just try different things and be careful about it. Brush your teeth often. I would suggest not eating sticky stuff because it's hell to get out of your braces, but other than that it's mostly just a pain issue... or at least was for me.
  • erzsebet_1560
    erzsebet_1560 Posts: 166
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    Ooohh... but some of those Colgate wisps to carry around with you. They are little portable toothbrushes that you throw away when you're done. They have different flavors too:)
  • aray379
    aray379 Posts: 131
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    I ate pretty much whatever I wanted and I had braces for abou three years. I did avoid any sticky foods though like sugar babies, taffy that sort of consistency because it can pull the braces off which is a huge pain in the *kitten*. Also, stuff like whole apples or pears cause you have to bite into them. Pretty much everything gets stuck in them so I suggest getting some of the tooth pick (GUM makes a good brand) that have rubber on the end they fit in between the braces really well. Good luck!
  • ackeebee
    ackeebee Posts: 1,042 Member
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    at 32 years old, i had braces fitted on my lower teeth 4 days ago (the upper arch to be fitted in 2 months). i had some discomfort upto 2 days after they were fitted but now i am able to eat most things, albeit abit slower. my biggest concern is the mess left in the braces after i have eaten and having to brush my teeth in a public bathroom when i am at work.

    i am wearing tooth coloured braces and no one at my office noticed i had them on until i told them yesterday.i will need to wear them for a abt 18 months and i am hoping it will be sooner rather than later.

    i have a question for you all, how soon after having your braces on before you saw any noticeable difference in your teeth. i have only had mine for 4 days but i am convinced i am getting small gap between a couple of my back teeth that wasn't there before or am i imagining things?
  • jennabellaxoxo
    jennabellaxoxo Posts: 232 Member
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    I just Gothenburg Tuesday of last week and I dropped 4lb in one week...and did not really have any weight to loose...I am now able to eat again but I was living of of protein shakes with big calorie soft foods added...oh and scrambled eggs!!!Good luck!
  • La_Amazona
    La_Amazona Posts: 4,855 Member
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    I had them as a teen and for a while couldn't eat squat. I went to eat mexican food afterwards with my grandma and got a chip stuck in there.. had to walk right over back to the dentist haha.

    But you'll get used to them and will learn HOW to eat hard foods with braces.
  • magichatter06
    magichatter06 Posts: 3,593 Member
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    I agree with most posters! It will take a few months but you will be able to eat slightly normal, probably have to cut up most food. Just eat soft foods when you get your braces adjusted.

    It will all be worth it in the end.

    Good Luck! I got mine off in August and I currently just have to wear my retainer at night.
  • ackeebee
    ackeebee Posts: 1,042 Member
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    i have started a "Brace Face" group. pls feel free to join guys

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