Metal Mouth Message Board

From the land of Shakespeare:-

To wax, or not to wax: that is the question:
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous braces,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And by opposing end them?

Seriously though, what is the story with wax? This is day one for me in braces. Will being liberal with wax mean that it takes longer for my mouth to toughen up or will my mouth toughen up anyway even with wax? I have applied quite a bit of the wax already and it really helps ease the discomfort.

Also do people usually only need the wax for a short while?

Regards
Joney

Seems to depend on the person...I'm 9 weeks in...and this week has been the only time I've even needed wax...and that's just becuase of a spring that's getting looser and snagging my lip...warm salt water rinses seem to work the best at relieving the discomfort and toughening the cheeks up...but if you have something poking..then by all means wax it till you get it taken care of.

Joney, don't be afraid to use wax - you're not a wuss if you do.

I used wax almost daily for the first two weeks of upper braces because the abrasion was killing me. Ditto with bottom braces - although I needed to wax for a shorter time.

Now I rarely use wax. In fact, the only time I reach for the wax is when I get a new piece of equipment. A few weeks ago I got some new hooks and they irritated a bit, so I hauled out the old wax and used it for a couple of days.

Your mouth will toughen up, but there's no need to get canker sores either if you can head them off with a bit of wax and salt water rinses.

Love your Hamlet/wax soliloquy.

the wax still causes friction against your mouth so it help toughen up areas without the sores. I agree that it depends on the person and the situation of the treatment. I use it when ever I need it combined with salt water rinses and seem to be doing pretty good. At anyrate dont be afraid to use the wax. It will make life much more comfortable in the long run.

My great plan....I leave the wax off in the morning, but as soon as I start to feel ANY rubbing I slap on the wax. I figured that way I would 'toughen up' but not get sores - so far it has worked really well. At 2 1/2 weeks I am off the wax (unless I am talking a lot).

haha i havent used wax once... and i got my braces on ... 7 months ago i think...

I just use it as and when. I've had my bottom braces for 4 months but have hardly needed it at all, but sometimes my top molar bands rub and I've needed quite a lot on those.

I HAD to use wax, i was getting stabbed, sliced and everything else in my mouth when my braces first went on a couple of months ago. Maybe my mouth is more tender then everyone else's, but I use wax intermittenly without fail. I do use the salt water rinses, but they dont seem to do much for me....they may help me heal a lil faster but thas about it.

I dont anyone who uses wax is a wimp, you should try to make sure your mouth is as comfortable as possible because HECK its going through LOTS of changes!