Metal Mouth Message Board

I got my bottom braces on 3 weeks ago. After the initial pain, I have gotten used to the feel of my metal lowers, but eating is a hassle. My uppers are ceramic, and they stay much cleaner than my metal bottoms. Now, I know the question of food has come up often on this forum, but I would love to know what are the best items to order in a resturant that reduce the need for all of the swishing, spitting, brushing and flossing. I found one post from a member who mentioned ordering a baked potato. I have tried the old spud with success, but I am looking for options.

Here is a funny story. I went to my local fried chicken establishment and ordered 3 "strips." When my order arrived, I asked for a plastic knife and fork to cut up my chicken. Well, turns out this resturant only stocked the "spork" and did not have a knife. I asked if they had a metal one I could "borrow." Well, no they did not, but one of the counter staff offered to cut my food for me. I accepted the offer, and the employee cut my fried chicken strips and green beens with a big ole' kitchen knife into tiny bites. The thing is, I know they probably thought I was some demanding evil customer, but c'mon--not everyone eats chicken with their fingers, right?

Dont feel strange, your not alone. When we go out to eat I always cut my food up and I do get strange looks when I am cutting a burger or chicken tenders up but it is better than having a ton of food stuck on my brackets!

It is the reason I always carry plastic utensils with me.

I actually picked up some good strong plastic sets on my last international flight. Everyone thought I was weird because I asked for their utensil baggies if they didn't end up using them.

Hi!

I have, in a mere three weeks due to a lot of traveling, etc., found some ways to cope.

List of easy-to-deal-with foods:

Chili, preferably without many beans (ate this in a rush when late for movie; swished it around with Irish whisky on the rocks. That worked! But it was workable anyway, and when I dashed to the ladies room to look, there was nothing hanging from the scaffolding, so we made it to the movie on time.)
Salmon
French fries, as long as it's the sort of restaurant where you can pick them up and break them in half
Pork loin roast (if it comes with sauerkraut, see cole slaw, below)
Brussels sprouts (overcooked in so-so restaurant)
Most crepes, depending on filling because the filling is usually already cut up if dinner crepe and even more so if dessert crepe
Corned beef hash and egg
Salad if it is baby greens
Deviled eggs (if they have pickle chips, though, you might be sucking those out of your back teeth)
Lasagne, preferably not spinach
Soft funky rolls you get in Fazoli's fast-food Italian places
Any sort of Irish whiskey. I'm not kidding. I really don't enjoy the sensation of eating anything with the scaffolding in place; a tot of something potent seems to take the edge off eitehr the sensation or my inhibitions about it all. I'm thinking I might have to go the Bourbon and Corn Flakes route before it's all over--23 months and one week from now!


Impossible foods:

Iceberg lettuce salads
Cole slaw
Rice (I think this may be worse with Damon 3s because they stand out from the teeth so far and the beastly grains get stuck badly at the molars, especially.)

I haven't found too many impossible foods. I even ate two chili dogs, although I actually cut them up on a plate to eat them, but my darling boyfriend--who also wanted that 'special' in the funky restaurant we had stopped in, cut his up, too. Of course, he was probably glad of the excuse to save his luxuriant handlebar moustache from the mess!

While my front/side teeth were pretty tender, chocolate truffles were impossible: I simply cut them in half, though. This week, I can bite them with the side teeth.

Hope that helps.

Yeatsmom

The longer I have my braces, the easier I find it to eat most things, or maybe I just don't care like I did in the beginning. When I first got braces, I wouldn't dare eat a burger without cutting it up, but now I just go for it! Since I have mastered the fine art of swishing water in my mouth, I can eat just about anything. I gave up chocolate caramel apples, but last week decided I really wanted one. I cut it up in small pieces and it was great! I eat most of the foods on the "no-no" list, I'm just careful about it. Knock on wood, I have had my braces for six months and not a broken bracket yet!

HI

I don't have lowers yet so I cannot really relate to the question. But even with uppers only there is a lot of food getting stuck there. Especially rice and salad kinds. Well I started to ignore it until the end of the meal. There is no other way to enjoy your food! After I finish I go to the restrooms and remove all stuck food und brush my teeth. Of course I need places with a sink and a mirror (I check these things before). Some restaurants have small sinks and mirrors inside the booths. These are the best spots. Or I use the handicapped area for more brushing privacy.

Right now I couldn't chew anything really hard. A steak is out of the question! I eat a lot of fish and spring chicken. I always ask to overcook the meat. The best food places are italian restaurants. There I can eat almost anything besides pizza! Also the noodles a order overcooked (not "al dente"). A liter of water (room temperature) is always on the table. I always ask for it. Plus a clean cup! While eating I flush some water through my mouth and keep the braces as clean as possible.

I stopped to drink cola and all those kinds. Usually I take lemonade with no sugar, or beer. Even wine is no problem because I have wire ligs. Or I just drink water.

We ate out a few times - the first time, which was 4 days after brace day, was a nightmare. I thought my life is over. But now - no problems.

Onions are really bad to eat - I find they get stuck in the wire thing that is across the roof of my mouth.

I carry plastic utensils with me and have no problem cutting a sandwich into bits - it makes it last longer too!!!

Mashed potatoes are good
Soup is great
Chilli is good too

As a veggie I eat a lot of soft foods like Tofu and seitan and vegetables.
Fried zucchini strips worked well the other night.
Carrots did not.

French fries are great.
Grilled Portabello mushrooms too.

White wine instead of red.

Lots of great suggestions. My husband and I went out to eat at a very nice resturant last week, and I ordered grouper (pretty good on keeping the braces clean) grilled veg and creme brulee. I made it out without too much damage. Another good meal I had right after I got my lowers was manacotti. I do not like the feeling of pressure in my mouth when I try to eat something tougher than yogurt, but it sounds like that feeling will pass. Oh yea, a wine nightcap feels good.

At first I thought there would be a major adjustment in eating as I am on the road all of the time and eating out with clients and associates. I was on the road the day after I had been braced. I eat about anything and everything from steak to all types of fruit. I guess I have been lucky as I haven't had to cut hotdogs or hamburgers into little bites to eat. I agree on the bean spouts and spinach. They are super pains to get out of braces. The first time I had the challenge of bean spouts it took me an hour getting everything back to some type of normalcy. Never again!

After adjustments I am a little tender in the eating catagory and I'm very selective, but overall I eat about anything. In fact going to lunch with my dental team on Thursday. I wonder where they will pick for lunch? That should interesting!

Braced 15 Aug 05

GAC System 7's top and bottom.

Things will get better I promise!

Good Luck!

Al Carter wrote:I carry plastic utensils with me...

I got one of those swiss army knife kind of utensil sets and keep in in the handbag. I bought it in some outdoor shop. It's much more solid that plastic utensils and very small and compact when closed. I use it when I eat at fast food places to cut hamburgers and stuff. I just wash it when brushing.