I get the appeal of all the new gadgets—my kid’s ortho kit looks like a mini science lab compared to what I dealt with. But honestly, sometimes I wonder if it’s overkill. We tried the water flosser, and it just made a mess everywhere. The flavored wax is fun, but my daughter still complains it doesn’t stay put. Maybe it’s just us, but sticking to a simple routine seems less stressful. I do like the idea of keeping things out on the counter, though. Makes it harder to forget when you’re rushing in the morning.
I totally get the “science lab” vibe—my bathroom counter looked like a dental-themed escape room for a year. I actually loved the water flosser, but yeah, it took me weeks to figure out how not to soak my shirt every time. The flavored wax is a joke though... mine melted off in like five minutes, so I just stuck with the boring clear stuff. Keeping everything out in plain sight definitely helped me remember to use it, even if it made my sink look like a dental aisle exploded.
I actually had the opposite experience with the flavored wax—my kid swore by the bubblegum one for a while, especially when her cheeks were really sore. Maybe it depends on the brand or just luck? We did have to keep it in the fridge during summer, though, or it’d turn into goo. The counter clutter drove me nuts, but hiding things in a basket meant she forgot to use them... so I guess the mess was worth it in the end.
Funny, we had the opposite issue with the flavored wax—my son actually hated the taste after a while and just wanted the plain stuff. I do think brand matters, but honestly, he’d rather deal with sore cheeks than use something that tasted “weird” (his words). We tried keeping it on the bathroom shelf for easy access, but then our toddler got into it... so hiding it became non-negotiable. The struggle to balance convenience and mess is real.
The struggle to balance convenience and mess is real.
That’s exactly what I’ve been worried about—finding a spot for all the braces stuff that isn’t a total hassle. I keep seeing people mention flavored wax, but honestly, I’m not sure I’d like it either. Did you ever try those little portable cases for wax or elastics? I wonder if that would help with the toddler situation or just create more clutter.
