Wow, time is flying by. It’s already May!Â
There’s not a whole lot of change today from yesterday. I’m still wearing wax on every bracket when I go to bed. This just gives my tongue time to relax during the night. I’ll probably be able to stop that soon, but I’m a bit apprehensive to do so as I am enjoying that my tongue’s healing and I don’t want to make it sore again.
Wax Application Tips
Here are some of the things I noticed about wax that I thought may be useful for others. Please use wax as directed by your doctor, though.
At night, I cover all of my brackets (top and bottom) with wax. This allows my tongue to relax as it smooths the brackets.
1) Type – choose the best wax that works for you. At night, I use a less expensive traditional wax (available at pharmacies) as I need a lot more. During the day, I use a two-part wax that can be used more precisely on areas where I really need it (this wax hardens faster, so use it quickly-I got it from my orthodontist).
2) Amount – just take a pinch of wax at a time as it’s much easier to work with.
3) Temperature – warm the wax by rubbing it between your thumb and index finger; this makes it more malleable and mixes the two-part wax as well.
4) Coverage – ensure the entire bracket is covered by starting at the top where the bracket meets your tooth and squishing it down and around the bracket.
5) Smooth – when you’re done, run your tongue over the waxy surface and see if any metal’s exposed. Repeat steps two to four if necessary. Â
I have noticed a few things that really help my speech more, so if you have these braces, give them a try:
Speak Slower
I’m naturally a fast talker, and I’ve noticed that if I slow down (kind of painfully slow for me), I speak much more clearly than if I speak at my normal tempo. My tongue’s starting to heal, so it’s getting easier to make some of the sounds that I found difficult a few days ago.
Timing
I definitely speak better (more clearly) in the morning than at the end of the day. I think my tongue just gets tired.
Oh, and one more great thing, is I had pizza at the movie theatre tonight. I couldn’t bite into the slice as my front teeth are still tender, but I ripped it up into bite-sized pieces and stuck it on my back teeth (molars), and was able to chew it. It still hurts a bit to flip the food in my mouth, but it’s soooo much better.
I am currently waiting for my braces to come in. My question is are your teeth sensitive to temperature? I have some fillings in my teeth and want to know if you had any sensitivity like that? Any help will calm my fears of pain. Thanks Tina.
Hi Tina,
Congrats on your upcoming Incognito Braces treatment, and thanks for the great question! I have a few fillings as well, and I haven’t had any problems with sensitivity related to temperature that affected my fillings. Everyone’s different, so I can’t really say you WON’T get sensitivity – but I can confirm I did not.
The first five days after getting braces, I honestly felt that anything with extreme temperatures (like really cold iced cappuccinos or really hot soup) made the metal contract/expand. It didn’t hurt at all, but the sensation was a bit odd as I wasn’t used to having metal moving behind my teeth. That feeling disappeared quite quickly for me – I can eat anything now, and it’s just a bit over a month into treatment for me.
As an FYI, if your experience mirrors mine, I had sensitive teeth related to pressure (they felt quite tender) for about 9 days after I got the braces on my teeth. I really didn’t want to bite into anything with my central teeth until then.
I hope this helps, and please, feel free to contact me any time with questions throughout your treatment. Good luck with your braces!!! Be sure to wear wax on every bracket at night for the first week or so – you’ll be so grateful you did.
All the best,
Jacqui
Jacqui,
I’ve had my Incognito braces for 28 days now. I train for a living. I’m having difficulties with ‘s’ and ‘th’ sounds. I practice reading every morning to train my mouth and tongue. Little improvement. Just finished a awkward training yesterday. Before I purchased my braces I asked the Orthodontist if it would affect my speech; I was told that it would return to normal. I’m going in tomorrow to ask to have them removed if it cannot be fixed. Am I missing something?
Thanks,
Kevan
Hi Kevan,
Thanks for reaching out to me. I am so sorry to hear that you’re not fully adjusted to your Incognito Braces. Unfortunately, I’m a marketer, not a speech therapist, so I can only respond based on my experience.
I found that my speech was nearly 100% after 10 days. I used the Rainbow Passage every day and found that slowing down REALLY helped. Another trick that helped me was to use my wax. I LOVE the two-part wax called Gishy Goo. It helped me articulate much better when I placed it on the areas that rubbed my tongue (primarily lower back brackets). After my tongue adjusted, I didn’t need to apply it as often. I’ve had my Incognito Braces on since April 27, and I’m happy with the way I speak. The only time I ever hear anything lispy is when my tongue is very tired (for instance when I speak for a long time at a conference or event).
I’ve passed your comment along to my colleagues who regularly work with doctors directly to see if there are any suggestions from their past experience to help you. You’re only four weeks into treatment, so some adjustment is expected, but I honestly haven’t come across this before. If I understand you correctly, you train people how to speak for a living. Is that what you mean by “train?”
Before you get debonded, let’s see what I hear back from my colleagues. There are so many benefits to having Incognito Braces! I would like to ensure you have all the information you need to make the right decision for you.
Good luck!
Jacqui
Jacqui,
Thank you for your ideas. When I called my Orthodontist they said “it should be better after two weeks” and didn’t have anything else.
Yes, I train executives how to speak and present; fortunately my client I was with in Dallas took the whole “speech impediment” as they called it, in stride. I avoided traditional braces for looks; I avoided Invisalign for the lispy voice and pasty look I’ve seen in others; I really want this Incognito to work, and I’m willing to go the extra mile, but I cannot have it affect my business like this week.
I appreciate any expertise you can lead me to.
Thank you,
Kevan
Hi Kevan,
I just sent you a detailed email, but just in case it gets in your junk folder, here are the tips I’ve received back:
1) Wax – If wax is applied all the time, your tongue won’t become accustomed to the brackets. As an Incognito Braces wearer, I definitely found that I was much clearer when I put the Gishy Goo on certain brackets and I did that when I needed to articulate perfectly. I just made sure I didn’t wear it all the time, just when I needed it. I was definitely still doing this at your stage in the game, and I still do it! I got new elastics last week, and am wearing some Gishy Goo on my lower right hook because my braces are rubbing on a canker sore.
2) Reading Aloud – Everyone who responded recommended reading aloud and practicing tongue twisters. It sounds like something you’re doing already, and it definitely helped me. Your tongue needs to adjust to the new surface (you probably know this considering your job!!).
3) Physical Limitation – Your doctor can let you know if the way your teeth presently occlude (fit together) is causing air to hiss through your teeth when pronouncing those sounds. I remember when I first got my braces, I was kind propped open at the back with blue “stuff” that kept my mouth from closing all the way. Perhaps the sound is related to something like that. This won’t be resolved fully until your treatment is further along.
4) Speech Improvement CD – Interestingly, one of our doctors used to have a CD that contained “inside braces speech coaching” developed by an individual who had inside braces. He lent it to a patient long ago who never returned it (must have been good!
). My Google search came up unsuccessful, but perhaps you’ll have some luck!
Kevan, the overall consensus so far is to go in to your attending orthodontist as he/she can give you the best answer as he/she can see you in person. It would be such a shame to go through the transition with lingual braces just to take them off. I’m glad to hear that you’re willing to do what it takes to adjust, and trust me, it gets better! Everyone is different and will adapt to having inside braces at different rates.
I hope this information helps you a bit! If there’s anything else I can do to help, please let me know….and I’ll let you know if I hear anything else.
All the best,
Jacqui