felt like my tongue was in a wrestling match and my cheeks lost every round
That’s exactly how I felt the first night—my tongue kept finding new sore spots. I didn’t realize how much I’d miss just being able to close my mouth comfortably. Chapstick definitely helps, but for me, it’s the constant drooling that gets old fast. Wax is a bit messy, but I’ll take it over raw cheeks any day.
Wax is a bit messy, but I’ll take it over raw cheeks any day.
Honestly, I tried to save money and skipped the wax at first—big mistake. Ended up with sores that made eating anything crunchy feel like punishment. Chapstick’s good for lips, but I found rinsing with salt water helped my cheeks more. Drooling is just... part of the “braces budget package,” I guess. Worth it in the long run, but definitely not glamorous.
Drooling is just... part of the “braces budget package,” I guess.
Haha, no kidding. I thought I was the only one who woke up with a wet pillow those first few weeks. Did you ever try those silicone covers instead of wax? I heard they’re less messy, but not sure if they actually stay put. Also, salt water rinses are a lifesaver—my ortho recommended them but I didn’t expect them to work as well as they did.
Did you ever try those silicone covers instead of wax? I heard they’re less messy, but not sure if they actually stay put.
I tried the silicone covers for a few days—honestly, they felt smoother than wax but kept slipping off when I ate or talked too much. Wax was messier but somehow stuck better for me. Salt water rinses really did help with soreness, though. The drooling never totally went away, but at least it got less embarrassing after a while...
Wax was messier but somehow stuck better for me.
That matches my experience too. The silicone covers felt nice at first, but I couldn't get them to stay on if I was eating anything even slightly chewy. Wax is a bit of a hassle, but it really does the job when brackets are rubbing raw spots. Salt water rinses were a lifesaver for me as well—helped with both the soreness and keeping things clean. The drooling part... yeah, that's just one of those awkward phases most of us seem to go through. It does get easier, thankfully.
