You’ve had your braces on for a few weeks and you’re finally adjusting to the foreign hardware in your mouth. Everything is going great until that morning you accidentally drop the only package of dental wax you have in the toilet while you were preparing yourself for the day ahead.
What to do now?? Don’t think you can reuse it! Gross! Instead, you may want to look around the house for a few potential alternatives. Let’s take a look at what you could use in a pinch when you don’t have dental wax at your disposal.
What is the Importance of a Product like Wax on Your Braces?
Dental wax is meant to coat the sharp edges of your braces to protect your gums, cheeks, and tongue from getting cut or hurt from the hardware. This is an absolutely essential product that you must use when braces are in your mouth.
Without dental wax, the months and months of wearing braces would be far more uncomfortable.
Natural Alternative to Dental Wax
- Beeswax
Beeswax is actually one of the ingredients that is used to make dental wax. It is an excellent alternative for dental wax because it is naturally soft and quite comfortable to tear off.
If you have any beeswax near your household, you should unroll it and use enough to protect your gum. While it is already soft, rolling makes it softer because of the warmth produced by the hands. Beeswax lasts longer than other temporary alternatives of dental wax in the mouth, and it also has a better performance.
Moreover, you can use beeswax for an extended period than all the other possible alternatives to dental wax. However, you should ensure that you replace it often.
Synthetic Alternatives to Dental Wax
- Candle Wax
When you run out of dental wax, candle wax is not a wrong temporary solution for you. Fixing it on your braces is quite easy. Break off a piece of wax from a candle, and use your hands to roll it into a round ball. When the wax is malleable, use your fingers to place them to the problem area on your brace.
However, using candle wax could also bring in some problems. For instance, it might eventually break off due to its hard nature, exposing your gum to injuries that may be caused by broken brace wires.
Moreover, the candle wax may contain impurities. Therefore, it is not healthy to swallow. It would be best to use candle wax for a short period only before you get your orthodontist’s dental wax.
- Cheese Wax
Cheese wax can also come in handy as an alternative wax for your braces. It has been proven by health professionals to be an excellent temporary alternative for dental wax. Applying it to the area of the problem is also quite easy. Place it on your hands, and roll it until it is soft enough and use your fingers to place it to the problem area.
It can hold your braces for some time before you get to your orthodontist for more dental wax. Moreover, it is also safe to use because it can be swallowed without bringing any effects.
- Silicone Wax
If you also have silicone around your home, it can also be used as a temporary wax for braces.
It is steady, and it can hold the braces for a while before you get a dental wax. It is efficient in protecting the gums from any injuries that could be caused by the brace wires. It also holds the braces efficiently, ensuring that it does not bring you discomfort.
While silicone wax is a good alternative for the orthodontal wax, you should ensure that you get the standard dental wax soon, for better performance.
- Chewing Gum
In most cases, it is not advisable to eat chewing gum when you have braces. However, chewing gum can be a useful alternative for dental wax. If you run out of dental wax and you need to get an emergency alternative, a piece of gum should be the first option in your mind.
Generally, it was meant to be used in the mouth, and therefore using it as an alternative to fixing your braces should not be a bad idea at all. It is because the gum will not put your overall health at risk even if you mistakenly swallows it. When applying it to the problem area, you should use a sticky gum because it is easy to mold than the hard-coated gum.
Also, it would be best to use sugar-free gum because sugar is not healthy for your teeth and overall health. You should mold the gum into small balls and wet them so that they become sticky enough. After you feel they are ready, use your fingers to place them in the problem area.
Additionally, after fixing the gum on your braces, you should not chew any remaining gum. It is because the gum might stick on your braces, and may cause them to break.
- Halloween Wax Fangs
Many candy shops sell Halloween wax fangs, which are not a bad option to be used as an alternative for dental wax. They are usually flavored, which makes them a better alternative than all the other ones listed above. They are also chewable, meaning that they have no adverse effect on your mouth.
To apply them, break them into smaller pieces and use your fingers to place them in the area of concern.
Why Should I Use Dental Wax Alternatives?
Orthodontic wax is the best tool to use on your braces to help with discomfort. It also protects your gums from damage caused by the wires of the braces in case they break.
However, the orthodontic wax may be depleted any time, or worse and you may need to misplace it. If this happens, you should never let your gums stay without protection. You should find a valid alternative product before making an appointment with your orthodontist to get another dental wax.
The alternatives are helpful because they make you feel comfortable with the braces in your mouth, even without dental wax. Although some of them may not be as efficient as the dental wax, they play a significant role in protecting your gums and other mouth tissues from injuries that the braces may bring.
Therefore, it is essential to use the alternatives of dental wax, instead of leaving your gums unprotected from any injury that may occur once you run out of orthodontic wax. It would be best if you also remembered to replace them, and not leaving them in your mouth for too long.
In Conclusion
While the alternative dental wax elements may be helpful when you don’t have dental wax to use, they are not as effective as the dental wax. Many of this won’t feel comfortable inside your mouth, and they may also not be pleasant.
Therefore, it would be best if you only used these dental wax alternatives for a short period while waiting to get an appointment with your orthodontist to get more dental wax. Many alternatives should only be used as temporary solutions to alleviate the discomfort that braces bring and protect the gums and mouth tissues from damage.
