Reading this is honestly a relief. I’m scheduled to get my first bridge next month and I keep worrying it’ll always feel weird or like I’ll never get used to it. The idea of my tongue constantly poking at it is exactly what I’m dreading, but knowing that it fades with time helps so much. Even if there’s a tiny difference, as long as it’s not distracting, I can live with that. Thanks for sharing your experience—it makes it all feel a bit less scary.
My kid got a bridge last year after knocking out a tooth (thanks, trampoline). At first, she was obsessed with how it felt—kept making weird faces and saying it was “bumpy” in her mouth. But honestly, after a couple weeks, she stopped mentioning it. Now she just uses it as an excuse to avoid apples, but otherwise, you’d never know it’s there. The tongue poking thing faded pretty quick for her, if that helps at all.
The tongue poking thing faded pretty quick for her, if that helps at all.
That’s actually really common—kids and adults both. I see a lot of folks who are hyper-aware of their bridge at first, but almost everyone adapts. I had a patient who couldn’t stop running her tongue over it for the first week, then forgot about it completely. It’s amazing how fast your mouth just... accepts the new normal. Apples are tricky though, can’t blame her there.
It’s amazing how fast your mouth just... accepts the new normal. Apples are tricky though, can’t blame her there.
Yeah, that's reassuring to hear. I was super aware of mine for the first few days—felt like my tongue had a mind of its own. Now, unless I'm thinking about it, I barely notice. The only thing that still feels off is biting into harder stuff. Apples, crusty bread... still have to cut those up. But otherwise, it's way less weird than I expected.
Funny you mention the tongue thing—I thought I was the only one whose tongue kept poking at the bridge for days. It’s like your brain’s on high alert, then just... gives up and lets it be. I had the same issue with apples and crusty bread, too. I still hesitate before biting into anything with a hard edge, just in case. Cutting things up has become second nature now.
I’m curious, did your dentist give you any tips for getting used to it, or was it more of a “you’ll adapt” situation? Mine told me to avoid sticky stuff and just take it slow, but didn’t really offer much else. Sometimes I wonder if there are exercises or tricks to speed up that adjustment period, or if it’s just all about time and patience. Anyone ever actually get back to biting into an apple like before? Or is that just wishful thinking?
