"holding your mouth open during placement can dry your lips out quite a bit."
Did anyone else find the lip dryness worse than the actual soreness? I'm getting braces next week and honestly, the idea of cracked lips is stressing me out more than the pain itself. I've stocked up on lip balm already, but is there anything else that helps? Also, how long did it take before you felt comfortable eating regular foods again? I'm kinda dreading living off yogurt and mashed potatoes...
Lip dryness can definitely be annoying, and you're not alone in feeling more stressed about that than the actual braces pain. Good call on stocking up with lip balm—just make sure it's a hydrating type rather than flavored ones, as those can sometimes irritate your lips more. Staying hydrated helps a ton too, so keep sipping water regularly. Most people start feeling comfortable eating regular foods after about a week or so, but everyone's different. Hang in there, the yogurt-and-mashed-potato phase doesn't last forever...promise.
