Feeling grateful I finally qualified for full arch implants - anyone else relieved after a long wait?

The water flosser is basically a bathroom hazard for the first few tries, right? My kiddo turned it into a mini fountain show - mirror, shirt, even the cat got a taste.

Honestly, water flossers should come with a “splash zone” warning. I still find random water spots on my bathroom wall. And yeah, taste changes are wild - mine went all over the place too. The awkward phase really does pass, but it’s a journey. Apples were a no-go for me for a while, but thin slices are a game changer. You’re right, it gets better, even if it’s messy at first.

That first week with a water flosser, I swear I spent more time mopping up than actually cleaning my teeth. It’s like learning to use chopsticks - awkward, messy, but eventually you get the hang of it. And yeah, food just felt...off for a while. I couldn’t bite into a sandwich without worrying something would shift. Thin apple slices were my go-to too, but I still miss biting into a crunchy one whole. Funny how you start to appreciate the little things after going through all this.

Man, I gotta disagree a bit - those first couple weeks with the water flosser were actually kinda fun for me, weirdly enough. Felt like I was using some sort of dental power tool, even if I did end up with a soaked shirt half the time. But with the food thing? I hear you, but honestly, I started eating stuff I never bothered with before, like soups and soft cheeses. Wasn’t all bad. Still, nothing beats biting into a real apple... one day, maybe.

Felt like I was using some sort of dental power tool, even if I did end up with a soaked shirt half the time.

Haha, totally get what you mean about the water flosser. My bathroom mirror looked like a Jackson Pollock painting those first few days - I swear my sink’s never been cleaner, though.

I hear you on the food front too. I went through this phase where I convinced myself I was suddenly a soup connoisseur. Split pea, potato leek, even that weird cold cucumber stuff... But yeah, there’s just something about biting into an apple that nothing else really compares to. I tried slicing them super thin and pretending it was the same, but nope.

Curious - once you got your implants in, did you have any “first meal” planned? I kept dreaming about a big crusty baguette. Ended up going with pizza (rookie mistake, cheese everywhere), but it felt like such a milestone after all that waiting.

Haha, I relate way too much to the “soup connoisseur” phase. I practically lived on blended veggie soup and yogurt for ages. Totally agree - nothing compares to that first real bite into something crunchy. For me, I actually mapped out my first meal in advance (probably overthinking it, but hey). Ended up with a soft burrito instead of the steak I’d been craving... figured it was safer. It’s wild how those little milestones feel huge after months of restrictions. You earned that pizza, even if it was messy.