Yeah, I totally relate to the wax disappearing act—mine never lasted through a meal either, and I started feeling like I was just burning through those little boxes way too fast. Saltwater rinses are such a cheap fix compared to buying mouthwash all the time, and they actually did more for me when my mouth felt raw. Some days, though, nothing helped if a bracket was digging in... it’s just kind of trial and error. Hang in there—it really does get easier once you figure out your own routine.
I keep wondering if I’m doing something wrong with the wax, because mine just vanishes if I eat or even drink anything warm. Is it supposed to last longer? Honestly, I’ve started feeling like I’m eating more wax than food some days. Did you ever worry about accidentally swallowing bits of it? That kind of freaked me out at first.
Saltwater rinses sting a bit but they do seem to calm things down after the brackets have been digging in all day. I tried mouthwash for a while, but the burning was way too much and actually made my mouth feel worse—maybe my mouth’s just sensitive? Still, there are days when nothing seems to help and I get super anxious about new ulcers popping up. Did you find any tricks for those spots that just won’t heal, especially on the inside of your lips? Sometimes it feels like this is never going to get easier, even though people keep saying it will...
I totally get what you mean about feeling like you’re eating more wax than food—been there. Mine used to disappear the second I’d have soup or even tea, and yeah, swallowing it freaked me out at first too. My ortho said it’s harmless, but it still feels weird. For those stubborn ulcers, I found switching to a super gentle, alcohol-free mouthwash helped a bit. Sometimes I’d dab a little coconut oil on the worst spots before bed and that seemed to give some relief. It does get easier, but man, some days it really tests your patience...
I hear you on the wax basically turning into a side dish. I used to joke that I was getting my daily serving of “plastic fiber” every time I had soup. But honestly, I’m not totally sold on mouth rinses being the magic fix either, even the fancy alcohol-free ones. I tried a couple brands (the cheap drugstore stuff and one of those “natural” ones that cost way too much), and half the time it just felt like I was swishing expensive water around for nothing. Maybe it’s just me, but the ulcers didn’t really heal any faster.
Wax is annoying, yeah, but at least it gives you that instant barrier when something’s poking your cheek. I’d rather deal with a bit of wax in my ramen than have metal scraping my mouth all day. Plus, those little boxes last forever if you ration them out—my wallet appreciates that part.
Coconut oil does sound nice, but I’m too lazy to keep a jar by my bed. The closest I got was smearing a little Vaseline on the worst spot once. Not sure if it helped or just made me feel like a weirdo.
I guess what worked best for me was just using wax when things got rough and then trying not to think about it too much. The ulcers eventually healed up on their own. If I had to pick between spending money on rinses or just toughing it out with wax (and maybe a little saltwater rinse, which is basically free), I’d go with the budget option every time.
Braces are such a weird combo of pain and expense... but hey, at least we’ll have straight teeth someday, right?
I get where you’re coming from, but honestly, I think mouth rinses get a bad rap. The trick is consistency—using them a couple times after you already have ulcers won’t do much, but when I started rinsing daily (just the basic saltwater or a mild antiseptic), I noticed way fewer flare-ups. Wax is great for instant relief, but it doesn’t really help with the healing process or keep things clean. Plus, some of those ulcers are actually aggravated by bacteria, not just friction. I’d still keep a box of wax handy, but I wouldn’t write off rinses entirely—they’re not magic, but they do help if you stick with it.
