Cheek biting and wax

Message

#1 Post by **mary88** » Sun Mar 25, 2007 6:04 am

Hi everyone, Hope everyone is well. I haven't posted in a couple weeks, have been on vacation (the cruise was wonderful). I have just a couple questions. The first is regarding wax.I have tried a couple time now to put wax on my back molars with no luck, as soon as I put it on it just falls off. What am I doing wrong? Since I have had the braces on I have started grinding my teeth at night. Unfortunately I sleep on my side (I turn back and forth from left to right) So needless to say I am also gringing my cheeks. They now look like raw hamburger and are all cut up. Does anyone else do this? Any suggestions?

I have been having a problem adjusting to eating since being braced and this only throws a wrench into it because now everything I put in my mouth burns all the cuts and sores. Thanks for all your help. Mary88

#2 Post by **becks** » Sun Mar 25, 2007 7:52 am

I could use a cruise right about now! Glad you had fun Mary.

I think Karen covered everything I thought of when reading your post. If you don't already, try rolling the wax into a ball then once you get it molded onto the offending bracket, suck on that tooth...if that makes sense. For eating, put the mouth sore gel on right before you eat, let it numb then eat. My ortho goody bag came with a sample of Orabase by Colgate. It's great! My ortho tech also said taht you could spray Chloraseptic onto a sore as well. I tried it once to see how it worked (cause I already had some) and it worked well too.

Good luck and hope your mouth feels better soon.

#3 Post by **RightMyBite** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 1:05 pm

Another thing that helps the wax stay on is to make sure the part you're applying it to is dry. This is especially important if it's a silicone wax like OrthoSil. That can be tough if it's way in the back of your mouth -- I usually have to hold my cheek back with one hand, use a cotton swab to dry the bracket with the other hand, and then use the "swab hand" to apply the wax.

#4 Post by **phanta** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 2:35 pm

I've used a small piece of cotton instead of wax, it held up well in the back. It catches onto the wire or the bracket and stays in place.

I even used it on my screws right on top of the gum. Wax didn't hold well and since it's not breathable, it left indentations around the posts. I was afraid it would cause an infection. Cotton, however, didn't press on anything and worked very well.

The only problem was that I kept forgetting about it and almost ate the padding. No biggie though, especially if you just do it at night, for sleeping, you'll be ok

#5 Post by **Huon** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 3:40 pm

Here's another recommendation for Orabase. It feels peculiar at first but works womders.
Huon

#6 Post by **Malzee** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 8:55 pm

I hear you. I suffered these same issues the first couple of weeks. Everyone said USE WAX but the stuff my ortho gave me would NOT stick.

I finally out of desperation went to a drugstore and bought my own kind and it works like a charm! Get G.U.M brand ortho wax. it melts right where it should and lasts til you take it off or eat it

You will feel better. and your mouth will toughen up too.

Thu Mar 27, 2008 4:20 pm

i am waxing my left lower cleat every day as it ripped my tongue an caused a ulcer
the wax i got from the ortho works well, an it stays on while i eat, i take it off to brush tho