Q&A for How to Eat With Separators in Your Mouth

Soup, yogurt, milkshakes, ice cream, applesauce, cottage cheese, etc. Anything that doesn't involve a lot of chewing. Remember, the pain will only last a day or two.

Separators should stay in your mouth as long as you avoid certain actions. Do not eat sticky food, which can easily dislodge separators. You should also avoid flossing in spaces between your teeth filled by separators. Brush your teeth back and forth, rather than up and down, to avoid dislodging separators.

Drink high calorie fruit shakes, smoothies and soups.

No they do not, as the plastic they are made from cannot be affected by hot liquid.

You should be able to eat Wendy's chili, depending on the amount of chewing required and your pain tolerance. The less chewing required, the less painful it will be.

Pain can be managed through use of over-the-counter pain medication, like Tylenol. Also, eating soft foods and chewing slowly can minimize pain associated with separators.

You should consult your dentist or orthodontist to see what amount of bleeding is normal.

If a spacer falls out because of flossing/chewing, it's best to consult the orthodontist.

All you can do is take pain relievers and eat soft foods.

No, but you will feel pretty sore for 2-3 hours after. The pain is very mild and only lasts about a day or two.

Probably - give it a try.

Make sure to use the sides that don't have the separators to eat. Then the risk is lower of one popping out. If you can eat them without pain it should be fine. You might want to contact your orthodontist to be sure, though.

Just push through it, you'll feel better soon.

Although they are sometimes very painful, they are usually only in place for one to two weeks. Spacers can also cause toothaches and gum pain because of the constant pressure against the patient's teeth. This can be relieved with painkillers.

Not really, but it may cause discomfort and pain, depending on how sore your mouth is when you eat them.

Ramen is pretty soft so that shouldn't be a problem.

Yes, as long as you've had them in long enough that you're not in any pain, you can eat a hamburger.

They hurt because they're actually moving your teeth inward. The slow shift can cause pain in the gums. Also, as a general rule, mouth pain is just worse than pain in most other areas of the body.

No. Brushing your teeth is necessary, even when you have separators.

Very temporary relief. Orajel is not a long-term remedy.

Take painkillers and chew soft foods. You'll probably always be bothered by them to some extent.

No, because peanut butter is considered a sticky type of food and could dislodge your separators.

Yes, although I would avoid chewing with the back of your mouth too much. If you experience any problems, don't continue eating the cereal.

It depends on how sticky the doughnut is. It is very sugary, so if you do, floss your teeth where the separators are not placed. It is probably best to not have a doughnut though but to instead find other tasty treats that are good for your teeth.

It may be normal, depending on how bad your teeth are. Really bad teeth have braces on for longer, you probably have an open space for braces but need a little more space.

No! The only thing different is to not floss where the spacers are and try to brush front to back not up and down where they are at as well. You're trying to minimize the chance of them falling out, not completely deny your entire mouth of cleaning because you have spacers. You can still floss everywhere the spacers are not.

Just tell your orthodontist that they fell out and see what they say. It's not a big deal.