The “teeth feel huge” thing is so real—my daughter kept making faces in the mirror like she’d just discovered a new set of chompers.
That cracked me up—totally relate. When my braces came off, I felt like I had a mouthful of oversized USB drives instead of teeth. The silicone finger brush idea is genius, wish I’d thought of it. Out of curiosity, did anyone else notice their sense of taste was a bit off for a while? I swear my morning coffee tasted weird for at least a week...
When my braces came off, I felt like I had a mouthful of oversized USB drives instead of teeth.
That’s honestly the most accurate description I’ve heard—USB drives, haha. I remember just sitting there, running my tongue over my teeth and thinking, “Wait, these are *mine*?” The whole thing felt bizarre. I was so worried I’d never get used to it, or that everyone would notice how weirdly big and slippery my teeth looked. It took me a while to even want to smile in photos, which sounds silly, but it’s true.
About the taste thing—I actually had something similar. My sense of taste wasn’t totally gone, but everything tasted…off, like there was a weird aftertaste or something metallic. Coffee was the worst for me too. I kept thinking maybe it was the glue residue or just my gums being sensitive, but my orthodontist said it’s pretty common. Apparently, your mouth just needs some time to adjust after all that hardware is gone. It took me about two weeks before things felt normal again, but I was super anxious about it at first.
The silicone finger brush is a great idea, but honestly, I was so paranoid about scratching my new “bare” teeth that I stuck with a super soft baby toothbrush for the first month. Maybe I was overthinking it, but after years of brackets and wires, I felt like my teeth were fragile. Looking back, I wish I’d relaxed a bit more—teeth are tougher than they feel right after debonding.
If your daughter is making faces in the mirror, that’s totally normal. I did the same thing, and so did my younger brother. It’s awkward at first, but it passes. I’d say just remind her (and yourself) that the weird sensations are temporary, even if it feels like you’ll never get used to it. It all settles down way faster than you expect, even if you’re a worrier like me.
Honestly, I thought my teeth were gonna snap in half after the braces came off—felt like I’d paid a fortune for glass teeth. But you’re right, they’re tougher than they seem. That weird taste thing? Coffee tasted like pennies for weeks. Totally normal, just super annoying. It does pass, though.
Honestly, I thought my teeth were gonna snap in half after the braces came off—felt like I’d paid a fortune for glass teeth.
I know that exact feeling. When they took my braces off, I was so nervous to bite into anything even remotely crunchy. It almost felt like my teeth were hollow or something. I kept thinking, "What if they just crumble?" Of course, they didn’t—but it took me ages to trust them again.
The taste thing is interesting. I didn’t get the pennies with coffee, but for me, bread tasted like metal for a while. It’s such a strange adjustment. I was convinced it was something I did wrong with cleaning or maybe a reaction to the glue they use for the brackets. My dentist said it’s pretty common, but it’s hard not to worry when it lingers longer than you expect.
One thing that helped me was sticking to lukewarm drinks and softer foods for the first couple of weeks. Anything too hot or cold made my teeth ache, and honestly, I just didn’t want to risk it. I also found that using a really gentle toothpaste (no whitening stuff, nothing harsh) made things feel less sensitive overall.
Gotta admit, I still hesitate sometimes when biting into an apple. Old habits, I guess. But you’re right—teeth are tougher than we give them credit for after all that moving around.
If you’re feeling awkward about how your mouth feels or tastes, you’re definitely not alone. It’s weird, but it does get better. Sometimes slower than we’d like, but it does pass. Just takes a bit of patience—and maybe some extra soft snacks in the meantime.
Funny how something as simple as getting your braces off can mess with your head more than your mouth...
Interesting, I actually found the sensitivity faded faster when I just went back to eating normally (within reason, obviously). The more I babied my teeth, the longer they felt weird. Not saying to go straight for popcorn, but I think a gradual return to crunchy stuff helped me trust my bite again. The metallic taste thing is wild though—never had that, but I did get this weird plasticky aftertaste for a few days. Maybe it’s just nerves plus all the glue residue?
