Totally feel you on the soft foods thing—instant mashed potatoes have become my best friend after tightenings. Cheap, easy, and zero chewing required. Hang tight, it'll ease up soon...until next month anyway.
"instant mashed potatoes have become my best friend after tightenings. Cheap, easy, and zero chewing required."
Totally agree, instant mash is a lifesaver. Another good one I've found over the years is scrambled eggs—soft, quick to whip up, and fills you up better than you'd think. Also, soups are great, but avoid anything chunky or with noodles at first. Learned that the hard way after my first tightening...ouch. Yogurt and smoothies are decent options too, especially if you're tired of savory stuff. Hang in there, it does get easier after the first few adjustments. Eventually, you'll barely notice the discomfort after a day or two each time.
Instant mash is definitely underrated, but personally I get bored of it pretty quick. Scrambled eggs are a good shout though—I've found adding a bit of cheese or salsa (nothing chunky!) helps keep them interesting. Another thing that's saved me after tightenings is oatmeal. You can make it sweet or savory, and it's gentle enough that it doesn't hurt at all going down.
One thing I'd mildly disagree on is the smoothies...they're tasty and all, but sometimes the cold makes my teeth even more sensitive right after an adjustment. Room temp protein shakes have been a better bet for me. Also, don't underestimate applesauce or pudding cups—they're easy to stock up on and require zero prep effort.
Honestly, after my first tightening I thought I'd never eat normally again...but trust me, you adapt quicker than you'd think. Hang in there, it'll be worth it.
"Honestly, after my first tightening I thought I'd never eat normally again...but trust me, you adapt quicker than you'd think."
Glad I'm not the only one who felt this way. After my first adjustment, I panicked a bit because even oatmeal felt rough at first. Applesauce was a lifesaver for me too—easy to swallow and no prep needed. I tried smoothies but yeah, the cold was brutal on my teeth. Lukewarm soups ended up being my go-to. Tomato soup with a bit of cream or even blended veggie soups (nothing chunky, of course) worked well. Still cautious about trying scrambled eggs though...do bits get stuck easily? I'm paranoid about cleaning around the brackets after eating anything remotely solid.
"Still cautious about trying scrambled eggs though...do bits get stuck easily?"
Yeah, scrambled eggs can definitely be tricky at first. Bits do tend to cling around brackets, especially if they're cooked a bit dry. I've found making them softer and creamier helps a lot—adding a splash of milk or even a small spoon of cream cheese keeps them smoother and easier to manage. And definitely rinse or swish with water right after eating; makes cleaning way less of a hassle later.
