Lingual arch - week 5. Wax for my Owies.

So its been 5 weeks since this lingual arch was installed in my mouth. Although I've made it this far, don't think for a moment that it's been easy - or that I've adjusted.

I haven't.

I've lost 5 or more pounds just from the sheer challenge of finding something to eat that doesn't hurt. I'm eating a lot of soups, soft foods and ice cream (yum eh? But sadly, after eating ice cream for a few dinners the luster wears off. It's now back on the list for special occasions, not dinner.)

And yes, the lingual arches and the elastics - tortoise now - are doing their thing. In fact, with the slight movement going on right now, my left side bite doesn't always match up - but if I get the left side matched, the right is so off I can't bite down on food. See the challenge?

Not to mention my teeth stay sore - especially on my left side with the elastics.

I kept thinking that eventually my mouth would adjust to the pointy sharp edges of the bands and the bar on my top left back teeth so that I didn't need to use wax. Not so. I'm plotting out the special configuration of the waxes I'm using and prioritizing the ones I like better.

For my top left bar - which is more than 1 inch in length and up near the edge of my gums. This irritates the inside of my cheek in a big way. It requires plain old wax. Not the silicon. Not the Gishy Goo. Wax. The kind that comes in fat strings - I pinch off about 1/2 - 3/4 inch and roll is soft to put it in place. It stays all day since it is up against my cheek and upper lip. To use silicon or Gishy goo would require too much product. I'm not willing to give up the good stuff for the place up there.

Gishy goo. I like it once I have it in place successfully. However getting it combined and rolled and set up enough to put in place is sometimes a challenge. Often I miss the opportunity to get it to stick. Other times I'm too early and its just a stringy mess. But overall, my favorite. Just need lots of it.

Silicon wax. I like this - but wish it would harden up so it doesn't come off as easy. I do like using this if I'm going to be out for lunch. I can easily remove the silicon and tuck it away privately before eating. Then easily reuse it until I can get home to change my elastics and reset my waxes.

There you go. My progress report for my adult braces journey. Lingual arch - 5 weeks. Next ortho appointment mid December. Gosh…. it's a journey every day.