I actually found silicone strips more cost-effective in the long run, but I get what you mean about them sliding off—happened to me a few times after coffee or if I was in a rush. The regular wax felt stickier, but I hated how it would crumble and get stuck in my brackets. Ended up switching back to silicone but made sure to dry the area with a tissue first, which helped a lot. Salt water rinses... yeah, they sting, but my wallet appreciated not buying extra products every week.
Drying the spot with a tissue is such a game changer, but I’m always worried I’ll miss a bit and then the silicone falls off anyway. Anyone else get paranoid about swallowing the wax or silicone by accident? I keep thinking it’s gonna happen when I’m half asleep.
Honestly, I’ve definitely had that same paranoid moment—especially when I wake up and realize the wax is just...gone. I keep wondering if it melted, fell out, or if I just swallowed it in my sleep. Is that actually bad for you? I mean, I know they say it’s “non-toxic,” but that doesn’t exactly sound reassuring.
I started drying the bracket with a Q-tip instead of tissues, just because the tissue kept leaving little bits behind (and then the wax wouldn’t stick anyway). The Q-tip seems to get things drier, but sometimes I feel like all this extra effort is just for the wax to fall off the second I eat or drink anything. Have you found any way to make it stay on longer? Maybe there’s a trick I’m missing.
Also, silicone is supposed to be better than regular wax, right? But it’s so much more expensive. I tried both and honestly couldn’t tell a huge difference, except my wallet felt lighter after buying the silicone. Maybe I’m just cheap, but I keep going back to the regular wax since my insurance doesn’t cover any of this stuff.
One thing that helped a bit was putting the wax on right before bed and then not drinking water for a while. It seemed to last longer overnight, but yeah, sometimes it was gone by morning and then I’d start worrying about where it went. Not sure if that’s just me being anxious or if it’s actually something to worry about.
Does anyone else feel like they go through way more wax than they should? Between losing pieces and constantly reapplying, I feel like I’m buying a new pack every week.
Losing wax overnight is weirdly unsettling, right? I’ve had that same “where did it go” moment more times than I’d like to admit. I did ask my ortho about swallowing it and apparently, yeah, it’s non-toxic and just passes through—still doesn’t feel super reassuring but at least it’s not dangerous. I think the anxiety is probably worse than the actual risk.
Totally get you on the tissue bits sticking everywhere. I used to use tissues too and ended up with a fuzzy mess half the time. Q-tips are definitely better for drying, but sometimes I’ll even use a little piece of paper towel if I’m desperate (just gotta be careful not to leave any behind). The wax seems to stick best if the bracket is bone dry, but honestly, once you eat or drink anything warm, it’s game over. I haven’t found any hack that makes it stay put through meals besides just reapplying afterward.
As for silicone vs regular wax...I really wanted to like the silicone since everyone online raves about it, but same here—it didn’t seem worth the extra cash for me either. Maybe if you have a specific spot that’s really rough or sharp, silicone might last a bit longer? But day-to-day, regular wax does the job just fine, especially considering how often you have to replace it.
I go through wax way faster than I thought I would too. It feels like every time I buy a new pack, it’s gone in a week or two. My ortho gives out tiny sample packs but they barely last a few days. If you find yourself burning through them, you’re definitely not alone.
Putting wax on before bed is smart though—I do that too and try not to drink water for a while so it has a chance to set. Still wake up sometimes with no trace of it left...maybe we’re all just destined to eat our body weight in orthodontic wax by the end of treatment.
If anyone ever figures out how to make this stuff stay on for more than a couple hours at a time, they deserve some kind of award.
Can totally relate to the “where did the wax go?” mystery. I’ve woken up more than once convinced I’d find a lump of it stuck somewhere in my cheek, but nope—it’s just vanished. My ortho also said not to worry if I swallowed some, but honestly, the idea still weirds me out. Guess it’s just one of those things you kind of have to accept if you want your mouth to survive the brackets.
I tried the tissue trick at first too, and wow, what a disaster. It’s like trying to get cat hair off a sweater—impossible. I switched to using Q-tips, but I’ll admit, there’ve been nights when I was half asleep and just used my shirt sleeve (not proud of that one, but desperate times…). The dryness thing makes so much sense, but as soon as I drink tea or even breathe through my mouth too much, the wax just detaches. Haven’t found any magic fix for that either.
Silicone was hyped up by my ortho assistant, and I shelled out for a pack. Honestly? Didn’t notice a huge difference except my wallet was lighter. Maybe if you’ve got a wire poking way out it helps more, but for me, regular wax is just easier to smush on and forget about.
I burn through those tiny wax packs way faster than I thought I would. At first I felt like maybe I was doing something wrong, but hearing that everyone else goes through them like candy is weirdly reassuring. One of the assistants at my office actually suggested asking for a couple extra packs each visit—they’ll usually hand them over if you ask nicely.
I started putting wax on right before bed too, hoping it’d last through the night. Sometimes it does, sometimes it’s just gone by morning. Maybe it’s just the price we pay for not having our mouths shredded by metal. If anyone ever finds a hack for keeping the wax on longer, I’m all ears...but until then, I guess I’ll just keep restocking and hoping my stomach doesn’t mind a little extra “fiber.”