Wax just annoyed me after a while—half the time I’d wake up with it stuck to my pillow instead of my braces.
Haha, that’s exactly why I gave up on wax after week one. I swear, it’s like the stuff has a homing beacon for anything except your teeth. I even found a piece in my hair once and had no idea how it got there. But honestly, I’m in the minority here—I actually liked those silicone strips. Yeah, they’re pricier, but for me, they stayed put way better than wax. Maybe my mouth is just weirdly shaped?
I never got ulcers from the wax moving, but I did manage to choke on a bit when it slipped off mid-sandwich... not my finest moment. Salt water rinses are solid, but after a few days I just stopped caring and toughed it out with a lot of cursing under my breath. Braces are just a whole journey, aren’t they?
I’m always so paranoid about swallowing wax or those silicone things, so I end up using salt water like it’s some kind of magic potion. But honestly, I still keep a tiny container of wax in my bag just in case. The idea of toughing it out freaks me out... my cheeks are way too sensitive for that.
The idea of toughing it out freaks me out... my cheeks are way too sensitive for that.
I totally get that—some folks seem to have superhero cheeks, but most people I see are in your camp. I remember one patient who tried to “tough it out” after jaw surgery and ended up with these little ulcers that took forever to heal. I’m always curious: has anyone ever actually swallowed a chunk of wax or silicone? I hear about it a lot, but in practice, it seems pretty rare. Salt water is definitely underrated, though—it’s like the unsung hero for sore mouths. Ever notice if certain foods make things worse right after surgery?
My kid had jaw surgery last year, and we definitely relied on wax and salt water rinses. “Toughing it out” just wasn’t an option—those brackets were brutal on the cheeks. I was always paranoid about her accidentally swallowing wax, but it never actually happened. Spicy foods made everything worse for her, even stuff with just a little pepper, so we stuck to bland, soft things for a while.
I get the worry about swallowing wax—it’s more common than people think, but honestly, it’s usually harmless. Bland foods are a lifesaver, but I sometimes wonder if folks rush back to “normal” foods too soon just because they’re tired of the mush. Did your kid ever get tired of the soft diet and try to sneak in anything crunchy? I’ve seen a lot of setbacks when patients push it too early... patience really pays off, even if it’s boring.