Honestly, I was a little skeptical about the plain wax at first—felt like it barely did anything for me. The bubblegum kind was a bit much, sure, but I actually found the mint flavor from GUM brand worked okay and didn’t get as gooey. Maybe it’s just personal preference or how much you use? I get the appeal of keeping things simple, but sometimes the “gimmicky” stuff isn’t all bad. My main issue is remembering to reapply after every meal... that part’s still a pain.
My main issue is remembering to reapply after every meal... that part’s still a pain.
Honestly, that’s where my kid and I both struggled. We’d pack lunches and I’d throw in a little travel container of wax, but half the time it’d get lost in the backpack black hole. The fancier flavors were tempting, but I always went back to the cheapest plain kind—mostly because we’d go through so much of it. I swear, those tiny boxes disappear faster than socks in the laundry. At some point, I just started buying the multipacks and stashing them everywhere... car, kitchen drawer, even my purse. Not glamorous, but it saved us a few bucks and a lot of whining.
I remember those little wax boxes all too well—felt like I was buying them in bulk just to keep up. My grandkids would lose them constantly, or worse, forget to use them until their cheeks were already sore. Did anyone else try sticking a box right by the toothbrush at home? That was the only way mine would remember after meals. The flavored ones were fun for a minute, but honestly, the basic stuff worked just as well and cost a whole lot less. Funny how something so small can cause so much hassle.
Totally get what you mean about the wax—mine would disappear faster than socks in the laundry. I tried the toothbrush trick too, but half the time it’d still go missing or end up in a pocket somewhere. Flavored vs. plain… my kid thought bubblegum was cool for about a week, then just wanted it over with. Did anyone have luck getting their kids to actually use those little proxy brushes? We had mixed results—sometimes they helped, sometimes they were just another thing to lose.
Those proxy brushes were a total mixed bag for us too. My daughter liked them for about a week—then they just vanished, like the wax. I swear, I spent more on “extras” than on actual braces some months. Did you ever try buying the off-brand ones? I found a pack at the dollar store that worked just as well, but she still managed to lose them in her backpack or under the couch.
As for flavored wax, we tried the bubblegum and mint. She said it was “fun” once, but then it was back to plain because she got tired of the taste. Honestly, sometimes I wondered if all these little gadgets were worth it or just another thing to clutter up the bathroom counter.
Did your kid ever just use their fingers to push food out from between the brackets? Mine did, especially when we forgot the brushes at home. Not ideal, but hey, you gotta do what works when you’re on a budget and running late for school...