Getting my bite fixed with metal in my mouth - worth it?

Spinach is still my nemesis though...

Man, spinach is ruthless. It finds every possible nook and cranny, especially with a fixed retainer. I swear, it’s like it’s got a grudge against my teeth.

Honestly, I used to think fixed retainers would be a nightmare to clean, but once I got the hang of the water flosser (and yeah, regular floss for those stubborn spots), it wasn’t as bad as I expected. Still, you do have to stay on top of it - skip a few days and you’ll regret it. I’m with you on the forgetfulness thing though... if my retainer wasn’t glued in, it’d be long gone by now.

Metal in your mouth isn’t glamorous, but if you’re prone to losing stuff (Taco Bell bag casualties are real), fixed is worth the hassle. The only downside is getting used to that “permanent popcorn kernel” feeling at first. But hey, better than starting over with braces again because you lost a retainer at 2am after a snack run.

Ugh, the “permanent popcorn kernel” description is spot on. Took me weeks to stop poking at it with my tongue. I get what you mean about food getting stuck - spinach and those tiny strawberry seeds are relentless. The water flosser is a total game changer, though. I resisted getting one for ages because I thought it was a gimmick, but now it’s basically my best friend.

I actually lost my first removable retainer at a music festival (don’t ask), so the fixed one was kind of forced on me. At first, I hated how it felt, but honestly, not having to remember to put anything in at night is such a relief. The cleaning routine is more involved, but it’s worth it for the peace of mind.

Did anyone else notice their bite feeling weird for a while after getting the retainer? Mine took some adjusting - felt like my teeth were in a whole new place for months. Curious if that’s just me or if it’s pretty common.

Ugh, the “permanent popcorn kernel” description is spot on. Took me weeks to stop poking at it with my tongue.

That “permanent popcorn kernel” feeling is too real - took me forever to stop messing with it, too. And yeah, my bite felt totally off for a while. I think it’s pretty common, honestly. Your teeth just need time to settle in their new spots. It gets easier, promise.

- That “popcorn kernel” sensation is super common after getting metal in your mouth - braces, retainers, whatever.
- Tongue poking is almost impossible to avoid at first. It’s like your brain can’t ignore the new hardware.
- Bite feeling off? Totally normal. Your teeth are shifting, and your jaw needs time to adjust. For me, it took about a month before things felt natural again.
- If you’re wondering if it’s worth it:
- Long-term, yes. My bite was a mess before and food constantly got stuck. Now, eating is way easier and my jaw pain is gone.
- The initial discomfort fades. Wax helps with sharp spots, and over-the-counter pain relievers can take the edge off the first week or two.
- Honestly, the weirdness becomes background noise pretty quick. I barely notice the metal now unless I’m flossing (which takes forever, not gonna lie).
- If anything feels sharp or painful longer than a few weeks, definitely ask your ortho to check it out. Sometimes small tweaks make a huge difference.

Hang in there - it’s awkward at first but gets way better once your mouth adapts.

That popcorn kernel feeling threw me off at first too - I kept thinking something was stuck. Took me a while to stop poking at the brackets with my tongue. I will say, the jaw soreness eased up way quicker than I expected. The wax was a lifesaver for those first couple weeks.

That wax really is a game changer, isn’t it? I remember thinking I’d never stop fiddling with the brackets, but after a couple weeks, it just became part of life. The soreness surprised me too - it faded way faster than I’d braced myself for (pun intended). Hang in there; it gets easier.

Honestly, I felt the same way at first - couldn’t stop poking at the brackets, and wow, the wax was a lifesaver. For me, it helped to stick to soft foods for a bit and just take it one day at a time. The discomfort really does fade before you know it. Hang in there; you’ll adjust faster than you think.

“couldn’t stop poking at the brackets, and wow, the wax was a lifesaver.”

That’s exactly where I’m at right now - constantly running my tongue over the brackets, even though I know I shouldn’t. Wax is my new best friend too. I was super nervous about eating at first, but here’s what’s helped me so far:

Step one, stick to soups, mashed potatoes, yogurt - basically anything that doesn’t require chewing. I tried biting into a sandwich on day two and instantly regretted it. Step two, I keep a tiny kit in my bag with wax, a little toothbrush, and mouthwash. That way if something feels off or food gets stuck, I can deal with it right away and not stress.

Honestly, I’m still anxious about every adjustment appointment, but each time it hurts less than I expect. The first week was rough, but now it’s more of an annoying pressure than actual pain. Not gonna lie, there are moments where I wonder if it’s worth it, but then I remember why I started. Seeing even small changes in my bite is pretty motivating.

Hang in there - if I can get through the weirdness, anyone can.

It’s wild how universal the “tongue constantly on brackets” thing is. I still catch myself doing it and I’ve had these for months. Wax is clutch, but sometimes I get lazy and don’t reapply it, then instantly regret it when a bracket digs in. The food situation was a shock for me too - first week, I thought I could just power through pizza if I cut it small enough. Nope. Ended up with cheese stuck everywhere and a sore mouth.

I started off feeling like every adjustment was some kind of medieval torture device, but after the third visit, my brain just accepted that this is life for now. The annoying pressure is real, but honestly, I’ll take that over the random wire pokes any day. And yeah, seeing even tiny changes makes all the hassle less pointless.

I get what you mean about wondering if it’s worth it - some days I look at old pics and think my teeth weren’t *that* bad. But then biting into food actually lines up better now, so there’s that. My only gripe: flossing with braces is straight-up tedious. Water flosser helps a bit, but it’s not magic.

Curious if anyone else has noticed changes in their speech? My S’s were super weird at first and I felt self-conscious talking at work... seemed to settle down after a couple weeks though. Did you deal with that too or am I just overthinking?

The speech thing is totally normal, at least from what I’ve seen with my kid. S’s and sometimes even T’s sounded off for a bit, but after a couple weeks it faded and nobody really noticed except us. The tongue-on-brackets habit is real too - my kid still does it when zoning out. Wax is a game changer but yeah, getting them to reapply was always a battle here too... And flossing? Ugh, I feel you. Water flossers help some, but there’s no shortcut for patience with these things.

I get that the speech thing fades for some people, but is it always that quick? I’ve had my braces for a month now and my S’s are still kind of weird, especially when I’m tired. Did your kid do anything specific to help, or did it just go away on its own? The wax is supposed to help, but honestly, half the time I forget to use it and just deal with sore spots. Water flossers are great in theory, but mine just makes a mess and doesn’t feel like it gets everything. Am I missing something here, or is the struggle just part of the deal?

Water flossers are great in theory, but mine just makes a mess and doesn’t feel like it gets everything.

Totally get this - mine turned my bathroom into a splash zone the first few weeks. I stuck with regular floss for a bit, even though it’s a pain with braces. For the speech thing, my lisp hung around for a couple months, especially after adjustments. Did your ortho suggest any specific exercises or tricks? Or is it just “wait it out” for most folks?

I hear you on the lisp thing - it’s honestly one of the most annoying parts for me too. My ortho just told me it would improve with time and didn’t really offer any exercises, which felt kind of vague. I tried reading out loud at home, which helped a bit, but there were still days where I felt like I was talking around a mouthful of marbles. Did you notice if it got worse after certain adjustments? Some days I swear it’s more noticeable than others.

Yeah, the lisp definitely fluctuated for me too, especially right after adjustments. I think it’s partly because your tongue has to keep “relearning” how to move around all the new hardware in your mouth. Reading out loud helped a bit, but honestly, nothing worked as well as just giving it time. I noticed on days when my mouth felt sore or swollen, my speech was way worse. It’s wild how much those tiny tweaks can throw off your whole articulation.

Funny, I actually saw something different with my daughter when she got her braces. The lisp was definitely there at first, and she had her share of sore-mouth days, but what really seemed to help her was singing along to songs she liked. She’d belt out tunes in her room (off-key sometimes, but who cares), and it almost became a game for her to see if she could say the words clearly. I do think reading out loud is great, but the music thing seemed to distract her from the discomfort and made the whole relearning process less frustrating.

I get what you mean about just needing time, though. There were days when her speech was all over the place, especially after wire changes. Still, I wouldn’t say nothing helps except waiting - it’s just that the “help” looks different for everyone. Sometimes a goofy approach works better than the serious ones... at least in our house.

That’s actually a really sweet idea - using music to work through the awkward speech stuff. I remember my niece did something similar, but her thing was tongue twisters. She’d crack herself up trying to say “she sells seashells” with a mouth full of brackets, but it totally made her less self-conscious.

I hear you on the “help looks different for everyone” bit. Sometimes it’s about finding what distracts you just enough, right? I’m curious - did your daughter ever complain about eating or was it mostly the speaking part that got to her? For me, the food thing was the hardest. Soft foods forever... I still can’t look at mashed potatoes without thinking of braces.

Did you notice any changes in her confidence once she got used to everything? That adjustment period can be so rough, but sometimes these little routines (even silly ones) seem to make all the difference.

For me, the food thing was the hardest. Soft foods forever... I still can’t look at mashed potatoes without thinking of braces.

Same here - eating was way worse than talking for me. I got so sick of yogurt and soup, honestly. Did your niece ever try those dental wax things? I found them super helpful for the first few weeks, especially with all the rubbing and sores. Confidence-wise, it took me a while to not feel so self-conscious, but once I could eat more normally, it got better. Did anyone else here just avoid crunchy stuff completely? I still get nervous around popcorn.

I totally get the popcorn paranoia. I’m still wary of it, honestly, even though my braces have been off for a while now. I remember snapping a bracket on a tortilla chip once and having to pay out of pocket to get it fixed - my insurance didn’t cover “snacking mishaps.” After that, I just stuck to softer stuff and cut crunchy things into tiny pieces if I really wanted them. Not the most fun, but it saved me some cash and stress.

Dental wax was a game changer for me, too. I bought the store brand, which was way cheaper than what the ortho sold, and it worked just as well. The first week was brutal with all the rubbing, but once I figured out how to use the wax, things calmed down a lot. It’s not a perfect fix, but it definitely helped me avoid those painful mouth sores.

The food thing was rough, but I actually found that after a couple months, I got used to eating differently. I started making big batches of things like chili or pasta that I could eat for a few days, just to keep it simple and affordable. I know some people say you can eat almost anything with braces if you’re careful, but I didn’t want to risk another broken bracket. I definitely missed crunchy veggies, though. Carrots and apples were off the menu unless I sliced them super thin.

Confidence-wise, I felt awkward at first, especially when I had to talk at work or smile in photos. But after a while, it just became normal. I kept reminding myself that it was temporary and that the end result would be worth it. Now, looking back, I don’t regret spending the money or dealing with the hassle. My bite feels so much better, and I don’t have to worry about chipped teeth or jaw pain anymore.

If you’re still in the thick of it, hang in there. It gets easier, and you’ll find little tricks that work for you. And yeah, maybe just skip the popcorn for a bit - it’s not worth the risk or the expense.

That’s so relatable - especially the part about snapping a bracket on a tortilla chip. I had a similar thing happen with a crusty piece of bread (thought I was being careful, but nope). It’s wild how quickly you learn which foods just aren’t worth the drama or the bill.

I also found dental wax was a lifesaver, but it took me a few tries to get it to actually stay put. I’d always end up swallowing half of it by mistake the first week. Eventually, I figured out if I dried off my brackets with a tissue before putting the wax on, it stuck better. Not sure if that’s textbook advice, but it worked for me.

“The food thing was rough, but I actually found that after a couple months, I got used to eating differently.”

Same here. At first it felt like my entire diet was just mashed potatoes and yogurt, but after a while you get creative. I started roasting veggies until they were super soft just so I could still get some greens in. Missed biting into an apple more than I expected, honestly.

Confidence-wise, I totally get what you mean about feeling awkward at first. Smiling in photos felt weird because the brackets seemed so obvious to me - even though most people barely noticed. After a while though, it just became part of my routine and I stopped overthinking it.

One thing that surprised me was how much better my jaw feels now that everything’s lined up. Didn’t realize how much tension I was holding until it went away. The hassle and expense sucked at the time, but having fewer headaches and being able to chew evenly is worth it.

Did anyone else have issues with their retainer after getting braces off? Mine felt way tighter than expected, and there was this weird adjustment period all over again...

Man, the retainer thing threw me for a loop too. Mine felt like it was trying to squish my teeth back together, even though they were already straight. I remember thinking, “Did my ortho mess up?” but apparently that’s just how it goes. Wild how your mouth just isn’t used to anything *not* being there for a while. Anyone else get weird jaw clicks after switching to the retainer? It took me a few weeks to stop noticing it.