Totally get the salt water thing—it just feels safer, and honestly, it helped my stitches heal faster too. I never really trusted the mouthwashes with the long ingredient lists... Did you notice any difference in swelling or healing speed when you used salt water?
Yeah, salt water rinses made a noticeable difference for me—less puffiness and the stitches felt less irritated. I tried one of those fancy mouthwashes once, but it just made everything sting, plus I couldn't pronounce half the stuff in it. Did you ever get that weird "tight" feeling after using salt water? For me, it faded pretty quick and was way easier to deal with than the chemical taste from store-bought rinses.
Funny, I actually found the opposite—salt water felt harsher for me than the store-bought stuff. I’d get that tight, almost dry sensation and it stuck around for a while. Ended up switching to a super mild, alcohol-free rinse my surgeon recommended (I checked every ingredient just in case). Did you ever try using wax on your braces or stitches? That was a game-changer for me when everything felt sharp or scratchy. Maybe it’s just personal chemistry, but salt water never quite did the trick for me.
Maybe it’s just personal chemistry, but salt water never quite did the trick for me.
Right there with you—salt water always made my mouth feel like the Sahara. I tried to save a few bucks with DIY rinses, but ended up caving for the gentle store stuff too. Wax is a lifesaver when you’re on a budget and everything’s poking at you. Glad you found what works... sometimes cheap isn’t worth the sting.
