I’ve been there with the wax—by midnight it’s like it just disappears and you’re back to square one. I tried the paper towel trick too, but sometimes it’d get soggy or fall out. What’s helped me more than anything is switching to a thicker orthodontic wax (the kind you have to order online, not the usual drugstore stuff). It actually holds up better overnight. I’m with you on smoothies though... after an adjustment, chewing anything solid just isn’t worth it.
That thick wax is a game changer, seriously. I tried the drugstore stuff for weeks and it never lasted past 2am. One weird thing that helped me—putting a little dab of coconut oil on the sore spots before the wax. Sounds odd but it made things less raw by morning. And yeah, after adjustments, it’s basically soup season for me... chewing just isn’t worth the pain.
