Mashed potatoes are such a classic, right? I swear, I lived off those and applesauce for weeks when I first got my braces. It’s funny how you start to crave the most basic foods just because they’re easy to eat. I totally relate to the temperature thing too—sometimes even cold stuff like yogurt made my teeth ache, which felt so backwards since people always suggest cold for pain.
I actually found that lukewarm soup (nothing with chunks, obviously) was a game changer for me. Not super exciting, but it was comforting and didn’t make my mouth hurt more. Have you tried oatmeal? It sounds weird but if you let it cool a bit, it’s surprisingly soothing.
Braces really do make you focus on every bite. I used to rush through meals and now I’m like, “Hmm, is this squishy enough?” It does get easier though—the first few months are rough but then your mouth kind of toughens up. Hang in there, you’re definitely not alone.
Braces really do make you focus on every bite. I used to rush through meals and now I’m like, “Hmm, is this squishy enough?”
That’s so true—it’s wild how much you start analyzing food texture. My kid went through a phase where literally everything had to pass the “fork test”—if it didn’t mash with a fork, it was off the menu. I always thought ice cream would be the go-to for pain, but sometimes even that was too cold and made things worse, just like you mentioned with yogurt.
Did anyone else notice that room-temp scrambled eggs worked better than anything else? We tried all sorts of soft foods but eggs seemed to be the only thing my kid never complained about. Also, did you ever experiment with smoothies? We found that thicker ones (almost like drinkable yogurt) were less harsh than icy ones.
Curious—has anyone tried using wax on the brackets for relief, or does it just make eating more annoying? My kid hated it because bits of food would get stuck... but maybe we weren’t doing it right.
- Totally relate to the “fork test.” I got into the habit of poking everything before eating, just to make sure it wouldn’t hurt.
- Room-temp eggs were a lifesaver for me too. Cold stuff sometimes made my teeth ache more, which was weird because everyone kept recommending ice cream.
- Tried smoothies but only if they weren’t too cold—brain freeze plus sore teeth is not a fun combo. Thicker ones definitely felt better than super icy ones.
- Wax was hit or miss for me. Helped with rubbing, but yeah, food would get stuck and it felt gross after a while. Sometimes I’d just skip it during meals and use it right after instead.
- Honestly, mashed potatoes (not too hot) were another go-to. Anything that didn’t require chewing much was fair game.
Still can’t believe how much time I spent thinking about food texture... never thought braces would turn me into a picky eater.
I totally get the mashed potatoes thing—soft foods were my best friend too. Did anyone else find that even brushing your teeth felt like a weird texture issue some days? I swear the bristles made everything feel more sensitive. Maybe it’s just me?
The whole brushing thing is interesting—honestly, I had a different experience. For me, brushing was actually one of the few things that brought some relief, even if it felt a bit odd at first. Maybe it’s just that I got used to being extra gentle, or maybe the routine was comforting in its own way. The bristles did feel sharper for a while, especially right after getting the wires tightened, but I found that using one of those super-soft toothbrushes made a world of difference. The regular ones were too much, but those extra soft ones? Like brushing with a cloud, almost.
I do get what you mean about weird textures though. For me, it wasn’t so much the toothbrush, but certain foods that just felt wrong—like bread crusts or even some soups with tiny hard bits. It’s funny how your mouth starts noticing things you never thought about before braces. But back to brushing, I actually looked forward to it because it was one of the few moments my mouth felt clean and not full of glue and metal.
I will say, flossing was a whole other nightmare. That’s where I really struggled with sensitivity and just sheer annoyance. But brushing? Eh, maybe I’m odd, but it was almost soothing after the first week or two. Guess everyone’s got their own quirks with this stuff.