Haha, I feel your pain—literally. When my braces came off, I was so excited to finally bite into an ice cream sandwich without metal interference... and then BAM, instant regret. Sensitivity toothpaste did help me a bit, but honestly, I mostly just waited it out. Like you said:
"Eventually, I realized one day that I wasn't even thinking about it anymore."
Exactly my experience. Until then, lukewarm milkshakes and room-temp soda were my jam. Plus, sensitivity toothpaste ain't cheap, so patience was definitely the budget-friendly option for me.
Did anyone else find that crunchy foods felt super weird at first? I remember being hyped to finally munch on popcorn again, but the texture was just... off. Took me a good couple of weeks before it felt normal. Also, sensitivity toothpaste never did much for me—did you notice a big difference or was it more placebo? Anyway, congrats on the brace-free life; it'll feel totally normal soon enough.
Totally relate to the crunchy food weirdness. I remember being super excited to bite into an apple again, but when I finally did, it felt like my teeth weren't even mine—like biting with someone else's mouth, haha. Took me a solid week or two before apples and chips felt normal again. Sensitivity toothpaste was kinda meh for me too; didn't notice much difference either way. But yeah, give it some time and you'll be crunching away without even thinking about it. Congrats on getting them off!
I feel you on the sensitivity toothpaste—didn't do much for me either. Weirdly enough, what helped was just easing back into crunchy stuff gradually. Like, I started with softer fruits (pears were a lifesaver), then moved onto apples sliced thinly, and eventually whole apples felt totally normal again. Might be worth a shot if you're still feeling off about it... Congrats on ditching the braces though, that's huge.
Totally agree about easing back into crunchy foods gradually. When I got my braces off, my teeth felt super sensitive too, and toothpaste didn't really help much. I found that slowly reintroducing nuts and crunchy veggies made a huge difference. Took a bit of patience, but now I can snack on almonds without even thinking about it. Congrats on your braces-free smile, by the way—enjoy it!
