“Maybe it’s nostalgia for the wax struggle, or maybe I just hate change more than mouth sores.”
I totally get this. I tried that gel stuff a few times and ended up with it all over my pillowcase instead of my brackets. Wax can be annoying, but at least you know what to expect. The only time I switch is if I get a really stubborn sore that won’t heal, then I’ll cave and use the gel for a night or two. Otherwise, it’s wax life for me... even if it means digging around in the dark half-awake. And yeah, flossing with braces is some kind of dark art—I’ve snapped so many floss threaders it’s not even funny.
“Otherwise, it’s wax life for me... even if it means digging around in the dark half-awake.”
That line got me—I swear I’ve spent more time blindly fishing for that tiny box of wax at 2am than actually sleeping. The gel just doesn’t stay put for me either, and then I wake up with this weird chemical taste and zero relief. Sometimes I wonder if these new “comfort” products are just another way to get us to buy more stuff we don’t really need.
I’m with you on the floss threaders too. They snap or bend after like three teeth, and then you’re stuck trying to MacGyver the rest of your mouth. Have you ever tried those little pre-threaded floss picks? I thought they’d be a game changer, but nope—just as awkward, and somehow even easier to drop down the sink.
Honestly, I feel like everyone has their own weird hack for surviving braces pain. My cousin swears by rinsing with warm salt water every night, but all that did for me was make my mouth taste like the ocean for hours. Anyone here actually found something that works better than wax or gel? Or is it just a matter of picking your poison and powering through?
I keep seeing ads for silicone covers instead of wax—supposedly they last longer and don’t fall off as easily. Has anyone actually tried those? Or is that just another thing that sounds good until you’re peeling it off your pillowcase at 6am?
