You nailed it with the food boredom thing. I’ve seen so many people just get totally over the “safe” foods after a couple rounds of tightening. It’s wild how something as simple as switching from applesauce to mashed sweet potatoes or adding a bit of cinnamon to oatmeal can make things feel less like a chore. I always tell folks, don’t be afraid to experiment a little—even if it means a few weird combos. It really does help keep spirits up during the tougher days.
Mashed sweet potatoes were a lifesaver for me too, but I gotta admit, I once got desperate enough to try blending up lasagna. Not my proudest moment. You’re right though, it gets so dull eating the same “safe” stuff after every tightening—sometimes you just need to get weird with it. I even started adding a little hot sauce to my mashed potatoes just for a change. It sounds gross, but honestly, when your teeth hurt that much, anything with flavor feels like a win.
Blending up lasagna is actually kind of genius, honestly. I remember after one tightening, I tried pureeing chicken noodle soup with extra noodles, and it ended up looking like baby food... but at least it tasted different. I totally get the need for flavor—plain mashed potatoes get old fast. Did you ever try any cold foods when your teeth were super sore? I found that yogurt or even cold applesauce sometimes helped with the ache, but I’m not sure if that’s just me.
I tried cold applesauce too, but honestly it made my teeth ache even more. Maybe I’m just sensitive to cold stuff? Yogurt was okay, but I kept worrying about getting it stuck in my brackets. Did you ever have issues with that?
Yogurt was okay, but I kept worrying about getting it stuck in my brackets. Did you ever have issues with that?
Oh, I hear you on that one. Yogurt was my go-to after every tightening, but I definitely noticed it would cling to the brackets and wires. I used to keep a little travel-sized bottle of water with me just to swish around after eating. Helped a bit, though it didn't solve everything. Sometimes I'd find a bit still hiding in there hours later—kind of embarrassing when you catch it in the mirror after talking to people all day.
As for the cold sensitivity, that's been a thing for me too. Applesauce straight from the fridge was a no-go. I started letting it sit out for a bit, just to take the edge off, and that helped. My teeth felt like they were singing if I tried anything icy.
Funny how you start to notice all these little quirks once you have braces. Never thought I'd spend so much time thinking about the temperature of applesauce or how sticky yogurt can be...
