Wax was helpful for us too, but honestly, my son hated how fiddly it was—especially when he had to reapply it at school. We ended up trying silicone bracket covers instead. They're reusable and snap right onto the brackets, so no more midnight arts-and-crafts sessions (been there, done that...not fun). Might be worth a shot if wax is driving anyone else nuts. Water flossers though—100% agree they're lifesavers.
"no more midnight arts-and-crafts sessions (been there, done that...not fun)"
Haha, oh man, this brought back memories. I swear, orthodontic wax must be some kind of parental rite of passage. My daughter had braces a couple years ago, and we went through the same wax struggles—lost count of how many times I found tiny wax balls stuck to her clothes or backpack. 🙄
Silicone bracket covers sound like a total game-changer though. Wish I'd known about them sooner! Honestly, anything that makes the braces journey a little less frustrating is worth its weight in gold. Kids already deal with enough stress at school without trying to discreetly reapply wax in the middle of class.
Totally with you on the water flosser front too. We got one halfway through my daughter's treatment, and I remember thinking "Why didn't we do this from day one?" It was like night and day for her comfort level and oral hygiene. Even now, post-braces, she still uses it religiously.
Anyway, hang in there—braces can feel like forever when you're in the thick of it, but it'll be worth it in the end. And thanks for sharing about the silicone covers; definitely filing that tip away for when my younger one inevitably needs braces... round two, here we come. 😅
"Honestly, anything that makes the braces journey a little less frustrating is worth its weight in gold."
Haha, true words right there. I remember when my oldest had braces, it felt like we were constantly improvising solutions just to get through the day. Wish we'd thought of silicone covers back then—sounds way easier than wax. Good call on the water flosser too; it's amazing how much difference those little things make along the way.
Haha, silicone covers are definitely a step up from wax. Wax always felt like a temporary fix that barely lasted through lunch. I remember constantly worrying about it falling out mid-conversation—awkward moments for sure.
The water flosser was a game changer for me too. Honestly, I was skeptical at first, thinking it was just another gimmicky gadget, but it genuinely made cleaning around brackets and wires so much easier. Regular flossing with braces felt like threading a needle blindfolded... every single night. Not fun.
One thing I'd add to the list of lifesavers is orthodontic threaders. They're cheap, simple, and saved me from endless frustration. I know some people find them fiddly at first, but once you get the hang of it, they're pretty handy. Also, keeping a small mirror in your bag or locker helps a ton—nothing worse than realizing you've had spinach stuck in your braces all afternoon.
And speaking of crooked teeth driving you nuts, I totally get it. Even slight misalignments can feel super noticeable when you're the one looking in the mirror every day. But hang in there—it's amazing how quickly things start shifting once treatment gets underway. Before you know it, you'll be looking back wondering why you stressed so much over those tiny imperfections.
"Regular flossing with braces felt like threading a needle blindfolded... every single night. Not fun."
Haha, this is painfully relatable. I remember spending way too much time in front of the mirror trying to thread floss through those tiny gaps. Honestly, I never fully mastered orthodontic threaders—always felt like my fingers were too clumsy or something. The water flosser was my saving grace too, but man, the first few times using it were messy AF. My bathroom mirror looked like a splash zone at SeaWorld.
Speaking of silicone covers, did anyone else find them tricky to get on at first? I swear I dropped half of them down the sink before getting the hang of it. And yeah, crooked teeth can feel super obvious when you're staring at them daily, but trust me, no one else notices half as much as you do. Curious though—has anyone tried clear aligners after braces for minor adjustments? I've heard mixed things about their effectiveness for small tweaks...
