Should you try to wean yourself off of the wax?

[railroad]

There are two places where my brackets poke into the inside of my mouth, right where the canine teeth are. My ortho said that after a while your mouth toughens up and it doesn't bother you any more but in the meantime to use wax to cushion it. So does it make sense to try to wean yourself off of the wax so that you build up what he seems to describe as callouses inside your mouth? Because I feel that if you are always using wax you will not build up this toughness inside your mouth.

[sirwired]

I had the same issue; my ortho didn't give me any guidelines. Basically, if your cheeks are actively really bothering you at that current time, put in wax. If they are just mildly annoying, don't. In my case, basically I'd leave the wax out until the irritation built up, and then wore wax until the next time the wax had to come out for brushing.

Took me about two weeks for my cheeks to toughen up. Until they did, I used Carbamide Peroxide drops (a.k.a. Gly-Oxide, a.k.a. "Antiseptic Oral Clenser"... look near the denture adhesives in the drugstore) and Rincinol (avail. on the shelf at Walgreens, and I suspect most other places could order it) to help out healing. The Carbamide Peroxide seemed to help to keep the wound cleaned out, while the Rinicinol provided a "shield" to ward off the next round of irritation.

[CoryDaniels]

I use wax everyday. I have elastics hooks on my inner bottom 4's...if i don't wear wax, by the end of the work day, my tounge is sore and bleeding from rubbing up against non smoothed metal all day.

[BBQ Grill]

I've used wax only on the first day because the tech told me to.... Found it annoying so I never used it again.... Poking pain lasted for one week..mouth toughen up ... Now it feels normal.... I look forward for the poking pain lol...cause that's where the tooth moved..

[sea54change]

I used wax off and on for the entire time! Even after the final adjustment I had to resort to using wax, which really surprised me. Every time I left the ortho office, I had at least 4 new colored cases in my pocketbook.

Like Sirwired, I would wear it until brushing and then see if I could go without. If not, back on it went. After 2-5 days, my mouth did toughen up. I think everybody is different in how long it takes to develop stronger inner cheeks.

[rhuj]

Hey I used wax for the first couple of weeks then found I didn't need it really as my mouth did toughen up. However yesterday I had to go dig some outta the cupboard again after having my final wires put on! The upper and lower cheek at the back is now gouged out..... So sore. Ive only got 5 months left to go and didn't think I'd feel like this again ..... Och well

[kitsune]

I am positive that I will need wax throughout the entirety of my treatment. Tomorrow will be 5 months in braces for me and, while I don't use wax all the time, I go through periods where I need to use a lot! My main issue is that the bottom wire will start slicing into my lip, which makes talking painful and difficult. To get through my days at work I have to use wax! I try to use wax just long enough for my lip gashes to heal, but the cycle seems to be continuous.

Oddly enough, I found that I didn't use wax really at all for the first month or so. Once my teeth started moving, I needed it more. I wonder how common that is.

[musiclady2340]

I'll be using wax every time I feel the need. Why be in pain at all when a little wax will help. I'm at the end of year two and have wax in my mouth right now. Why do you feel the need to wean off it? You won't be using it for life and it is not harmful.

[CountessDeSangre]

I'll be using wax every time I feel the need. Why be in pain at all when a little wax will help. I'm at the end of year two and have wax in my mouth right now. Why do you feel the need to wean off it? You won't be using it for life and it is not harmful.

These are my thoughts exactly.

[kennyandrew85]

I haven't used wax once, my ortho has never even suggested it in 10 months.

However, recently If i go out drinking (socialising) and do a lot of smiling my cheeks are ripped to pieces the next morning.

Think I need to get some wax, I like to think I have a high pain threshold but if wax stops my cheeks coming apart it must be worth it.

[railroad]

I'll be using wax every time I feel the need. Why be in pain at all when a little wax will help. I'm at the end of year two and have wax in my mouth right now. Why do you feel the need to wean off it? You won't be using it for life and it is not harmful.

I guess I just see it as a crutch that I should get rid of as soon as I can.

[sea54change]

Railroad-

What's wrong with crutches if they make your mouth less painful and you more comfortable?

I dislike taking any kind of over the counter meds. CVS does not include me as one of it's frequent buyers. I very rarely take Advil- have to be in mortal pain. Adjustments were in the category of mortal pain and I gladly took 3 Advil about 4 hours after most of my adjustments.

[Mauvaise]

I'm about 6 months in and I still use wax a lot more than I thought I would be.

I go through phases where sometimes the brackets/wires kill me (different sections in my mouth) and then they don't. I use wax whenever I need to. I think why it starts hurting again is that my teeth (and therefore the brackets) are moving constantly (even if I can't see it) and occasionally the brackets rub new parts.

[jamsmak04]

I still use wax. Actually my canine brackets just started bothering me so I put some wax on. I usually use the wax until the worst part of the sores are over and then I use less and less wax and then eventually none and by then there are no more sores and I am sore free for a month or two.

[Leilo0]

Hiii.
Seriously, even with callouses around my inner mouth, I still get canker sores every now and then.
So I use the wax as much as I need them. I wish someone invents a mouth guard for braces. I hate waking up with my inner lips sticking to my braces - I always get a canker sore from that. Goodluck :)