Metal Mouth Message Board

I've been having trouble with the lingual cleats on my molar bands - my ortho said she needs them later on in my treatment so she won't be removing them or filing them down, and advised that I put wax on them to reduce the pain from them cutting my tongue up.

The problem is, the wax she gave me separates soo easily and ends up coming off not 10 minutes after i've put it on. Was wondering if there were any better alternatives i can buy that work for the tongue side of things, where it's generally wetter? These things also fall off all the time when I eat so something that stays on through meals would be a real lifesaver as well. Any ideas? Silicone wax?

For those who've been through this, how long will this pain last or how long will it take for my tongue to toughen up so I don't live in agony all the live long day anymore? This is driving me slightly crazy.

Took me a few days for my cheeks and lips to toughen up. Of course where are we at now day 12? and my teeth have shifted slightly already and the brackets were rubbing in a new spot yesterday. LOL Today they seem ok thankfully.

As far as what wax sticks a little better I am not sure. I've been lucky that while my cheeks and lips have been irritated I haven't had to resort to the wax yet.

Yes, silicone wax does a better job of staying in place. You can look for it sold as moldable silicone ear plugs. Even better, if you can find something called do not mention (connect the letters. I guess the spam checker doesn't like it as much as I did), it's just bullet proof. As far as how long your tongue will be getting chewed up, I didn't have cleats like you've described, but it's probably the same as what my lingual brackets in the back were doing to the side of my tongue early on. That didn't last long. Maybe two weeks. And wax will get you through it. Good luck.

Try a sugar free chewing gum.

Just an update - on the day I made this post I had taken 2 painkillers right after and the crazy pain on my tongue never came back. I can still feel the sharp edges but they're not bothering me that much anymore. I can definitely talk and eat now. I'm not sure if I'm just used to it at this point, but I thought i'd just leave a note here to say to anyone having the same problem that the tongue DOES toughen up after a few days.

Thanks for the replies guys!

I realize that this post is a bit old but I thought my info might still be worth it for those that posted and/or those searching in the future.

Someone on YouTube recommended the clear silicone ear plugs (often used by swimmers) that you can buy in drugstores, walmart, etc. I bought a package of them (about $10 Canadian), and WOAH NELLY do they ever work! I tear a chunk off one of them, shove it on the bracket where I have friction/rubbing/rawness, and it doesn't go anywhere until I start eating (usually at that point I'm creating more saliva, so it'll pop off). I don't have to be stingy with it like I do with the teeny packs the ortho gives me, and the stuff STAYS PUT - even in the back where I have had the most trouble keeping wax on.

Hope that helps!