Eating with Orthodontic Seperators & Braces

LemonSocks
LemonSocks Posts: 238 Member
edited October 2024 in Food and Nutrition
Okay, so I'm getting some separators put in today and after a bit of research I've discovered that it's painful and eating is pretty difficult. Someone said they've can only really eat soft foods and others have said they couldn't eat solids at all and stuck with soup and ice cream.

So my question is twofold: firstly, what foods are going to be good to eat? I'm still wanting to eat healthily and as I still plan on exercising (if I can - I'll have to see) I'm going to need to keep my strength up. Any good suggestions?

And secondly (for those who have had braces), will I still have difficulty with solid foods when my brace is fitted or will I get use to eating with them? Someone had said that after 4 months of wearing their brace they still had trouble with anything hard.


Actually, one other thing. Without terrifying me any more than I already am, are the separators really as painful as they sound? Am I likely to struggle with exercise for the next week?

Thanks

Replies

  • famlyluv
    famlyluv Posts: 206 Member
    i have never had braces or seperators but i do have a story about my brother....not to scare you....he was 16 when he got his seperator put in...he has always developed early and i guess the top of his mouth fused together before it should have....my mom tightened his braces for him and while he was laying in bed he heard a "pop" and it broke the top part of his mouth...putting a huge gap in his front teeth....again...not to scare you :flowerforyou:
  • shedoos
    shedoos Posts: 446 Member
    I don't remember the separators or the braces hurting - but they do make you very sore. So yes, eating something hard is painful for about two days (max).

    As far as eating hard foods once you have your braces, define hard? You can't eat anything that might shear off the bracket (like an apple, or corn on the cob) but there is a way around just about anything (cutting up the apple, cutting corn off the cob, sucking hard candy rather than biting into it). The only thing I can think of that is a total no-go is sticky stuff like chewing gum.

    Each time you have your braces adjusted you'll be sore for a day or two, but you get pretty used to it and the results are well worth it.

    Don't be scared- millions of adults and kids have gotten through it. You'll be fine!
  • yarmiah
    yarmiah Posts: 325 Member
    Congratulations on your impending new smile! It will look great with the body you are working on!

    I got braces as a 27 yr old adult and actually was scheduled to have 2 surgeries related to it, but
    luckily only needed the one to expand my upper palate. They did suggest I have my wisdom teeth
    out before starting, which I did and that part was not fun. The palate surgery was not painful at all!
    In addition, I work in a dental office (just celebrated 20 yrs there) and know a thing or two in the
    dental department.

    #1. You orthodontist will give you a list of foods to avoid while in braces. If you have any questions,
    THEY are happy to answer ya! The food restrictions are 2 fold- to minimize any discomfort you may
    experience the first day, and to avoid losing the seperators before they are scheduled to be out
    (usually a week or so). There will also be a list of foods to avoid once the braces are on so you
    don't pop of brackets - usually its pretty hard crunchy things like pretzels and ice. They will also
    tell you no gum. The most annoying food I had to put up with, was of all things, LETTUCE! It
    somehow gets wrapped up and around the brackets and gettin it out can be . . fun.

    #2. From my own experience, nothing related to the braces was painful, including the surgery. I did
    experience a little discomfort the first 24 with the seperators due to the slight pushing and annoying
    feeling of something between my teeth- Cuz There Was! lol. And after getting the braces on, the inside
    of my lower lip rubbed a bit on the brackets, but they gave me wax and that solved the problem.
    All minor inconveniences and annoyance but WELL WORTH the fab smile!

    Everyone has a different pain tolerance level. If you are worried about pain/discomfort, you could take a tylenol
    before going in to the appointment so it will kicking in by the time you are done. It is a pretty quick procedure.

    Good Luck and keep up posted!
  • applebobbrush
    applebobbrush Posts: 235 Member
    Congratulations on getting your braces! I had braces when I was 30 years old. I think when you are done you will be so happy with your new beautiful smile. Separators are more irritating than anything. It feels like you have food or something stuck between your teeth. They will be sore for a couple days. The first few days of the actual braces will probably require some advil or tylenol. Not horrendous horrible life changing pain, but it is uncomfortable and takes a few days to learn to talk and eat without spitting food at everyone sitting close to you :D. It only took me a few days to "used" to mine and stop taking advil. Every time they adjust or tighten your wires you'll be a bit sore for a day or so, nothing bad again. I had to have some gum surgery at the end of mine because of a stubborn tooth in the roof of my mouth wouldn't ever come down, still not too bad.

    My best advice....
    -brush after you eat anything, really well. I kept a travel toothbrush and toothpaste in my purse at all times. Even in a restaurant after I meal I would go to the restroom and brush.
    -even though flossing with braces is a pain in the booty, do it!
    -follow your orthodontist instructions, if you have to wear rubber bands, keep them on. You will snap some from time to time, I once opened my mouth to ask a supervisor a question and shot her with my rubber band LOL.
    -keep your sense of humor throughout
    -cottage cheese, soup, jello, yogurt were life savers for sore mouths
    -don't bite into food anymore, even sandwiches! Cut them into bite size pieces.

    Good luck and quick re aligning of your teeth.
    -
  • Barneystinson
    Barneystinson Posts: 1,357 Member
    Back in 1995 I had a seperator put in. What a weird, weird contraption that thing was!

    My advice:

    1. Buy liquid tylenol or some other liquid/chewable painkiller. Pills tend to get stuck on the seperator and you'll need some pain relief for the initial tension. Chewable kids vitamins are also pretty awesome and are now so much more popular than back in the day.

    2. There's really only a few foods I'd consider "off limits" to braces / orthodontic devices ONLY because they risk pulling off the adhesive. These are: gum, taffy, toffee, jawbreakers, hard candy, candy apples, or basically anything that's extremely sticky, sugary, hard, and tough to eat.

    3. CUT UP SPAGHETTI (or just avoid long stringy pasta and other foods). I had a piece of spaghetti that got wrapped around the seperator and damn near choked me to death.

    4. Your own tolerance of foods is pretty individual. Try foods out and see how they go. Sometimes you may find you need smaller bites to swallow more easily with the seperator.

    5. Invest in a waterpik. Braces and orthodontics get gross with stuck on food. If you're not careful, this food will get moldy and disgusting stuck in the seperator and cause your breath to smell like something rotting. SO! Easy solution is to use a Waterpik with a solution of 1/2 Listerine (you need the STRONG minty stuff) and 1/2 water. Blasts out the yuck and leaves your mouth minty fresh.

    6. If you ever get a retainer or removable device, soak that sucker with effervescent denture tabs when you're not wearing it. Best stuff to keep the germies away and keep it odor free and clean.
  • LemonSocks
    LemonSocks Posts: 238 Member
    -follow your orthodontist instructions, if you have to wear rubber bands, keep them on. You will snap some from time to time, I once opened my mouth to ask a supervisor a question and shot her with my rubber band LOL.

    :laugh: I was laughing so hard that. Brilliant.

    Thank you all for the fantastic advice. You certainly put my mind at ease. The separators are in now and other than feeling a bit strange they're fine for now.

    I am really grateful for the advice and tips. I think I'll make a note of some of this stuff and stick it on the fridge.:flowerforyou:
  • MzBug
    MzBug Posts: 2,173 Member
    Start with soft foods...apple sauce, mashed potatoes, limp vegies, soup, yogurt.. etc. Then work your way up the "crunchy/hardness" scale as you get used to them.

    WATERPIK!!!! It is the only thing that is going to get all the gunk out. Use 1/2 water 1/2 mouthwash.

    If your entire mouth is hurting (and you are over 21) swish a mouthfull of gin or vodka around your mouth for a minute or so. It numbs you. Spitting it out or swallowing it is up to you... :wink:
  • ackeebee
    ackeebee Posts: 1,042 Member
    i just got braces on my lower teeth 2 days ago and i am 32 years old! so far it has been going well. i have some soreness but i notice that i am able to eat on the right side of my mouth without any problems. before i went in to the orthodontist surgery on saturday afternoon to have the braces fitted i decided to take a couple ibuprofen just in case. i didnt experience any soreness until sunday morning when i woke up. today i can feel some improvement so hopefully in a couple days i will be discomfort free.
  • Iam918
    Iam918 Posts: 118 Member
    When I first got braces, about 10 mo's ago, my teeth sore for approx 1.5 wks. First few days I stuck to protein shakes and the rest of the time was soft stuff I could mash between my tongue and top of mouth. After that I was able to slowly add other foods back in. I now eat just near everything that I did (could) pre-braces.


    some helpful tips:
    Keep a pick (+small mirror?) handy to keep stuff out of your braces as a lot of stuff like to attach itself to and under them. Keeping a glass of water near by when eating to rinse after every bite or three will help as well. At restaurants I have the waitress/waiters bring me a glass of water w/ no ice to use for this. Brush often! I brush after every meal, a good 3 or 4 times a day.

    For work and Traveling I got two of these: DentaKit Braces Survival Kit (http://www.dentakit.com/denforad1.html) ~Very useful!

    http://www.dentakit.com has a lot of useful items for those in braces, so have a look around.
    They also have a forum that you may find useful: http://www.archwired.com/phpbb2/index.php
  • sallywilson06
    sallywilson06 Posts: 269 Member
    Take it from someone that just went through this procedure less than a month ago.

    Soft foods are your friends. Separators are painful and you will need to take Tylenol to help with the pain. Try cottage cheese, soups and oatmeal. I had a hard time with them because you cannot bite down with your back teeth without being in pain (meaning you can't grind your food because it hurts so badly).

    Answer to your second question, you have a hard time eating more solid foods in the beginning because your teeth feel loose and its difficult to get used to them. I have a hard time biting into anything that isn't soft. Just remember that a fork and knife are your best friend and to always bring your toothbrush and flosser with you wherever you go!
  • Nuzzles001
    Nuzzles001 Posts: 1
    Ive got my seperators in my mouth right now, and I can tell you that they do hurt. Alot. I cant chew anything at all, and its day 2 1/2 with them. I can only eat things like ice cream, really soft noodles that i can swallow, mashed patatoes, and applesauce. When people say they are "sore" its nothing like you would think. I wanna just rip out the seperators myself but im restraining myself. It hurts like you wouldnt believe. I can barely sleep at night. Not trying to scare you in anyway either. Just stating the truth. As for exercise, I play volleyball and I was practicing one day, it was definetly not my best day. I can tell it was from the pain going on in my mouth also.
  • Kona2014
    Kona2014 Posts: 38
    Okay, so I'm getting some separators put in today and after a bit of research I've discovered that it's painful and eating is pretty difficult. Someone said they've can only really eat soft foods and others have said they couldn't eat solids at all and stuck with soup and ice cream.

    So my question is twofold: firstly, what foods are going to be good to eat? I'm still wanting to eat healthily and as I still plan on exercising (if I can - I'll have to see) I'm going to need to keep my strength up. Any good suggestions?

    And secondly (for those who have had braces), will I still have difficulty with solid foods when my brace is fitted or will I get use to eating with them? Someone had said that after 4 months of wearing their brace they still had trouble with anything hard.


    Actually, one other thing. Without terrifying me any more than I already am, are the separators really as painful as they sound? Am I likely to struggle with exercise for the next week?

    Thanks

    Hi there,

    I had seperators, then train track braces for 9 years followed by two years of retainer wear. For me, the separators caused no problem at all - I could feel them but they didn't hurt and didn't affect my eating or exercising at all.
    As for the braces, you will get used to eating wih them. Things like crusty bread will be more difficult to eat (I broke my brace eating a baguette - easily fixed though) and the first few days after the brace is tightened it does hurt. Take normal painkillers and stick to soft foods for the first few days while the pain fades. After that you should be fine. I ate pretty much everything as normal, I just avoided things like toffee (I didn't worry about such foods when I was a teenager lol!).
    Lastly, make sure you have some bonjela to hand for points where the brace rubs your gum - especially at the back of the mouth where the wire ends.
    Good luck - it's definitely worth it, and most of the time I didn't even think about the brace.
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