New braces making it literally impossible to eat! Any advice? 😫

[LongTermLurker]

DC had braces fitted this afternoon. She has train tracks on the bottom, and some sort of removable plate on the top teeth. It's very thick, and purposefully keeps her teeth apart. The dentist was very clear that she must wear it all the time, including eating (only removing for contact sports and cleaning).

She can't chew at all: her teeth just don't meet! I've suggested grinding food with her bottom front teeth against the plate, like an alpaca, but it doesn't work. Surely she can't just eat liquids for the next six months? 😕

Help!

I would just remove it at meal times. I had a removable brace I was told to eat with and it was just disgusting and impractical to clean.

Just take it out. I've never known anyone actually leave it in to eat.
Avoid banquets, 8 course dinners, and 2 hour lunches in France. 😉 It'll be fine.

If it's removable then take it out for meals. I had double train tracks many many years ago that hurt on tightening. I soon learnt how to get through a Marathon 🤣 (showing age)

The orthodontist was very insistent about it being in while eating: it sounds like it's an essential part of the process for her top and bottom teeth not to be touching. Gah. Can't believe I didn't question this more at the time

I think I'm going to get her to remove it would eating over the weekend, and then call in Monday.

Hi! My daughter had this same thing done today and hasn’t been able to eat! In end we took it out for her to eat something as she was starving! How is your daughter doing now?

Yes definitely remove it to eat. As a kid I was also told to eat with the braces in but couldn’t. I took it out to eat, replaced it afterwards, and the teeth moving process happened just fine. Some orthodontists and dentists are not living in reality.

We checked with the orthodontist and he said it's okay for her to remove it when eating if it's too difficult to eat with it in. She's actually now nearly finished with this phase of the treatment, so it's not been detrimental to the process! Good luck!

That’s great thank you! I can’t see her managing to eat at any point with it in! She nearly choked on a pot noodle. Glad your daughter is nearly at the end! Thanks for updating x

My dd got used to eating with it in in a very short space of time and it's supposed to speed up the process of teeth moving

I lived on yoghurt and wine when I got my braces (I was 38 at the time).

After a week, I was fairly back to normal. I sort of knew what to avoid, and didn't starve.