When you first get braces, you will begin to feel soreness all around your mouth. Soreness and pain are normal and should be expected. However, when the brackets, wire, and chain begin to irritate specific parts of your mouth, you should start using braces wax. If you go into the package, the orthodontist gave you there will be a case of wax you can use. If you aren’t given any be sure to ask the office if they forgot to provide you with some or if you need to purchase them yourself. Usually, you can also find them in stores or on Amazon.
When To Use
You usually want to place it when the wire, chain or bracket is causing a specific part of your mouth to become extremely irritated. Often it is used when a wire is poking the cheek as the treatment progresses. It’s normal to find that you can cut the sticky end of the wire if possible but if you can’t then using wax is an option. The wax covers the metal allowing the contact allowing it to make smooth contact with your cheeks. Typically you will only incur this problem during the early stages of your treatment. When you get used to having brackets on you won’t feel the need for the use of some of the materials in the kits.
How To Apply
You should grab a q-tip and fill it with a thick coat of wax. Then you should apply a thick layer onto the part of the wire that is the cause of the problem. For example, if a specific bracket is causing pain, you apply the coat onto that particular part and not the tissue it is hurting. This is done because it is harder for the wax to be worn down when on the metal than when it is on the gums that have more saliva on it. You should check to make sure there is always a coat on the braces every hour or if you begin to notice the metal again.