I totally get the worry about the taste—honestly, that was my biggest concern at first, too. For me, the silicone did have a bit of a weird aftertaste right when I put it on, but it faded pretty quickly, like within a few minutes. I was so focused on not poking my cheek that I barely noticed it after that. As for how long it lasted, I found the silicone stayed put longer than the regular wax, especially overnight. My only complaint was getting it off my brackets sometimes took extra rinsing. But overall, I’d go with silicone again just for comfort.
That aftertaste is something, isn’t it? I remember the first time I tried silicone, I thought I’d accidentally licked a balloon. Didn’t last long though, like you said. I do agree it stays put way better than wax—especially if you’re a teeth grinder like me. Only downside for me was sometimes it felt a bit too sticky when I tried to take it off in the morning. Still beats waking up with sore cheeks, though.
That balloon taste is wild, right? I still remember the first time a patient asked me if they could use flavored wax because the silicone was “too weird.” Honestly, I’ve tried both on my own braces and yeah, silicone’s got staying power, but it’s a pain to peel off sometimes—especially if you’re half-asleep. Ever tried warming it up a bit before removal? Makes it less like peeling off old gum. Curious, do you find it leaves little bits stuck in your brackets, or is that just me being clumsy pre-coffee?
Yeah, that weird aftertaste is hard to forget. I totally get what you mean about silicone sticking—sometimes I feel like I’m picking out tiny bits for ages, especially if I rush it. Warming it up does help, but I still end up with little pieces wedged in the brackets. Maybe it’s just how my teeth are spaced? Or maybe I’m just not patient enough before coffee either...
I totally relate to the silicone getting stuck, especially if I’m in a hurry. What’s worked for me is rolling the wax or silicone into a super thin strip and pressing it in slowly, kind of molding it around each bracket instead of just smushing it on top. If I skip that step, I always end up picking out little bits later. It might be the spacing, but honestly, I think patience makes a big difference—if I rush before my morning coffee, it’s a mess too. Maybe try breaking it into smaller pieces? That seemed to help me save both time and money since I wasn’t wasting as much material.
