Metal Mouth Message Board

Sometimes I'm too lazy to take them out, especially because often it is quite difficult to put them in again, so when I go out sometimes I just eat with them on. It is weird at the beginning, but then you get used: you only have to remember to cut the food in pieces small enough to pass through the elastics!

Do you eat with them on as well?

It depends on what I'm eating and what type of elastics I'm wearing. When I was wearing class III triangles I had to take them out to be able to open my mouth wide enough to chew. Right now I'm wearing a class II on only one side so sometimes I leave it in unless I have to bite into something. The only reason I would leave them in originally was so I didn't forget to replace them once I was done eating.

Im in class II on one side, so at the moment I do eat with them in. The ONLY reason I eat with them in is because I want to be wearing them 24/7. My assist, told me that how much you wear your elastic really effects your treatment time.

I wear mine when i eat becuase my ortho said to wear them as close to 24 hours as i can.

It just feels so weird to try and eat with them in. I've only tried a couple of times, though. I guess you could get used to it.

I have my elastics from upper canines to lower last molar and I can eat with them in, but the right side always pops off and I end up swallowing the rubber band. There's only so much latex I'm willing to ingest, so I take mine off when eating.

I eat with mine in. When I started with them the assistant told me "keep them in 24/7, and ONLY take them out to clean your teeth!" She was pretty clear that they were to stay in for eating etc. I must admit it is rather challenging sometimes ( and must look pretty stupid/strange to anyone watching me eat) as I have elastics from the inside of my lower first premolars to the outside of my upper canines and first premolars (triangle configuration) which only leaves a narrow gap in front to navigate the food through (otherwise it gets shot back out).

I tried to keep them in while eating when I was wearing the cross elastics but they would not stay in place.
With the second configuration (from upper lateral incisors to lower canines and back to first molars) there was no way to get food into my mouth so they had to come off.
In both cases I was told to remove them to eat and brush. So, more like 23/7 then 24/7 for me

Well, as if my ortho was reading my mind, yesterday I went for an appointment and got a new configuration (class2 on the right and class3 on the left) and new instructions: it is no longer "as much as you can" but "wear the elastics 24/7, except for brushing. Leave them in even for eating." He said I'd get used to eat with them, so now it does not seem a matter of choice for me anymore

however, given the configuration, I can't really eat big stuff like burgers or pizza with the elastics in...In those cases I'll just try to be more disciplined and put them in right after the meal.

I have tried it, mostly because I was away from home and decided I was hungry, but had forgotten to bring new elastics with. I don't find it very easy, most of the time I end up just taking them out and dealing without them until I get back home.

In the beginning, I did not eat with my elastics on, as my first two sets were tighter than a drum. I literally could not open my mouth far enough to get food into it. My new elastics (Ken's I think...) are way looser, so I tend to eat with them on more now. I figure that the longer I leave them on, the more work they do, even though I only removed my tighter sets to eat and brush. And I have gotten to the point that my mouth just feels weird without elastics in, it is almost as if I can feel my bite shifting without the pressure of the elastics, no matter how mild they are.

okay, I'm due for elastics pretty soon here and I'm a bit concerned after reading some of these posts. If you sometimes can't even open your mouth to eat - how are you supposed to talk? And if you can't take them out, and you can't talk with them in, how are you supposed to work when work requires you to talk??

When I only wore an elastic on one side I used to eat with it, now I have them on both sides I take them out - it's just easier otherwise they can come off and you end up nearly swallowing them.

jjjmac wrote:okay, I'm due for elastics pretty soon here and I'm a bit concerned after reading some of these posts. If you sometimes can't even open your mouth to eat - how are you supposed to talk? And if you can't take them out, and you can't talk with them in, how are you supposed to work when work requires you to talk??

It's definitely not that bad, as I posted above I generally don't eat with them because they come off. Also, you're mouth generally opens alot wider when you eat than when you talk which is why people are saying they can't open there mouth wide enough to eat.

You can definitely talk with them in, no need to worry!

Oh, no, with elastics you can talk for sure, you don't need to open your mouth as much for talking than for eating! Eating is tricky but depends a lot on the configuration, talking I don't think will be a problem!