I totally get what you mean about the silicone covers feeling bulky. I tried them once and honestly, I was so worried they’d come off in my sleep or while I was eating. Did you ever have them just... disappear? I kept checking in the mirror every hour because I was paranoid I’d swallowed one. Also, salt water rinses stung a bit for me—did you find that too, or was I just doing it wrong? I still feel like my cheeks are made of tissue paper some days.
Those silicone covers drove my kid nuts too. She’d wake up and have no idea where they went—sometimes we’d find them stuck to her pillow, sometimes just gone. I was always worried she’d end up swallowing one without noticing. As for the salt water, it stung her a bit at first, but we realized we were making it way too salty. Did you try using warm water and less salt? That helped us a lot. Her cheeks took a while to toughen up, honestly... some days were better than others.
Those silicone covers are wild, right? I remember when my nephew first got braces, he’d have those things on at night and by morning, they’d be anywhere but his mouth. Once, we found one mashed into the carpet under his bed—how it got there, no clue. He was always paranoid about accidentally swallowing one too, which honestly made me a little nervous. The orthodontist said they’d just pass through if that happened, but still… not exactly comforting.
About the salt water, I totally get what you mean. First time I tried it myself (had some bracket issues last year), I just dumped in a bunch of salt thinking “more is better.” Big mistake. It burned like crazy. After that, I started using just a pinch in warm water—way easier to handle. It’s kind of like troubleshooting tech stuff: start simple and tweak as you go.
As for cheeks toughening up, that’s a whole journey. Some days it feels like you’re finally used to it, then bam—one wrong bite and you’re back to square one with a fresh sore spot. I started using wax instead of silicone covers after a while. The wax stuck better for me, especially during the day when I was talking or eating more. Sometimes it would still come off if I ate something hot (pizza was the worst), but overall it was less hassle.
Funny enough, I actually tried using a tiny flashlight app on my phone to check for leftover wax bits before bed—tech geek move, I know. Helped me make sure nothing was stuck where it shouldn’t be.
Getting through those first few months is rough but eventually your mouth just… adapts. Not perfect, but definitely less miserable than at the start.
Funny enough, I actually tried using a tiny flashlight app on my phone to check for leftover wax bits before bed—tech geek move, I know.
That flashlight trick is genius. I’ve seen so many people worry about swallowing wax or silicone, but honestly, most of the time it’s harmless. Still, I get the paranoia—especially with kids. I’ve had teens come in convinced the wax is “stuck forever” somewhere in their mouth. Usually it’s just hiding behind a molar.
And yeah, pizza is the ultimate wax destroyer. I always tell folks: if you’re eating something hot and gooey, just expect to reapply after. Your “start simple and tweak as you go” approach with salt water is spot on. Seen too many folks try to nuke the pain with a salt bomb and end up regretting it.