Yeah, I totally get you on the weird taste thing. I used one of those blue mouth rinses after my surgery and it left my mouth tasting like I chewed on pennies. Wax was my go-to too—especially when the stitches were still fresh and everything felt super sensitive. Tried toughing it out once, but nope, not worth it. Salt water just made my lips feel all cracked. Guess everyone’s mouth reacts a bit different...
Salt water just made my lips feel all cracked. Guess everyone’s mouth reacts a bit different...
Man, I hear you on the salt water—felt like it dried me out way more than it helped. I was all about the wax too, especially when the hardware was rubbing right after surgery. Kinda curious, did anyone mess with those silicone covers instead of the regular wax? I saw some folks online saying they’re less messy, but I never tried ‘em. Wondering if it’s worth the switch or just marketing hype...
Yeah, salt water rinses always left my mouth feeling like sandpaper, especially in those first couple weeks. I stuck with the wax for a while, but it did get all mushy and sometimes just fell off. Tried those silicone covers once—honestly, they were a bit firmer and stayed put better, but I found them harder to mold around the brackets. Maybe it’s just personal preference, but for me, the old-school wax was easier to deal with, even if it was messier.
Tried those silicone covers once—honestly, they were a bit firmer and stayed put better, but I found them harder to mold around the brackets.
Totally get what you mean about the silicone covers. I had this epic struggle trying to squish them into place and ended up with more on my fingers than my braces. Wax was messy, sure, but at least it didn’t require a degree in engineering to use. Salt water rinses just made me feel like I’d gargled the ocean... not exactly soothing. For me, a combo of wax and occasional ibuprofen did the trick, even if I looked like I was chewing bubblegum half the time.
Yeah, those silicone covers are just not it for me either—felt like I needed three hands to get them on right. Wax is messy, but at least you can slap it on and move on with your day. Ibuprofen was my lifeline too, especially those first few weeks. Salt water rinses never did much for me except make everything taste weird. Honestly, I just stuck with what was easiest, even if it wasn’t perfect.