The next day, I was back at work. I stopped off at my usual café and discovered that morning croissants were now to be off the menu. I tore the croissant into small pieces, but it was still uncomfortable to chew.
At lunch, I was very relieved to have soup and mango fool. By this time my whole attitude to food had changed radically – from "Yum!" to "Can I manage this?" Meal planning was going to be a challenge from now on.
Over the week, I began to figure out things I could eat without too much pain or mess. Soup, obviously. For breakfast, I could have soft Nutrigrain bars, which needed very little chewing. I was aware of needing to have enough protein and nutrients, so went for tuna sandwiches, egg sandwiches etc for lunch.
For supper, pasta or chilli was manageable.
In the evenings, I searched the net to find out if anyone else was going through this kind of experience. I found a great site called ArchWired (www.archwired.com), specially for adults wearing braces. I had no idea there were so many people doing this. The personal stories on the site included accounts by pregnant women getting their teeth fixed before the baby came along, parents who had taken their children to the orthodontist and then decided to get work done on themselves, and people in their 40s and 50s who decided to go for it. Many of the people posting are from the United States, but there are also some Australians and some stiff-upper-lipped British folks, so I felt less of an oddball. There was information about coping at work, food suggestions, and even tips on ... er ... romance. Definitely not just an experience for teenagers, then!
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