Can wax be too old?!?

[alissataylor0214]

Hello All,
I just got my braces put on today and my ortho gave me a water bottle with all kinds of goodies in it, my question is this. I just opened the wax to put some on a spot thats driving me insane and the wax is SUPER hard. I can hardly roll it in a ball and when i try to stick it on the bracket it doesnt really stick well, like it doesnt mold around the bracket like I thought it would. Is this how wax is supposed to be? Sorry if thats a silly question, I am a newbie!! Oh, and where do I get more wax?
Thanks,
Alissa

[Audra]

Most drug stores carry orthodontic wax.

[alissataylor0214]

Great! Thanks!

[BaliGirl]

I don't know if wax can get too old, but it can sure be hard to shape if it's cold. Try to smash it between your fingers to warm it up, hopefully it will soften up a bit and be easier to work with. If it still won't soften up, you can always buy some more at a drug store.

You may also want to order some silicone wax (OrthoSil or BraceGard). It works better for me in most situations - stays on through eating and drinking and is transparent/not very noticeable. I haven't found any stores that carry it, so you may need to order online from dentakit.com or another site, or ask your ortho if he/she carries it (some do, but you have to ask for it).

[TumbleDryLow]

It's not old; it's too cold. You need to warm it up first. Mush it around in your hands and you will notice that it becomes more pliable the warmer it gets. Also, it sticks better if your brackets are dry.

[alissataylor0214]

Great, thanks guys! I'll give that a try!

[NervousNewbie]

I had the same issue with my wax. The wax the ortho gave to me was rock hard, and no matter what I did and how I rubbed it between my hands to try to mold it in to a ball, it didn't work. It was stuck to the inside of the case and I had to use a paperclip to scrape it out. I went to the drug store and bought wax and it came out of the container with ease, and was super easy to roll between my fingers in to a ball.

[alissataylor0214]

I got some at the drug store last night. Much better...but lord I dont know what I got myself into, my mouth is killing me!!! And ive only had these things on for one day! My mouth is just throbbing, my bite is already different and my advil is doing no good... ...just have to keep thinking it will be worth it when its done.

[hj55]

When I was using wax regularly I always kept a container in my pocket, that way I always had some which was softer & ready to use.