Wax ... the Elixir of Life! ... the Ambrosia of the Gods! Those with braces cannot live without it!
The little blue case is the "free" wax that I am given by my Ortho folks -- 2 with every visit! (um, that's about enough to get me through the weekend, THANKS!). It's called OrthoSil and will do in a pinch, but it is so soft and difficult to stick to an annoying bracket, though it won't release from my fingers.

The clear "GUM" case is what I supplement from the drug store. I have found it in just a few stores, and it generally runs $1.89 for that one little pack... which doesn't last long ... and then you have the damn little case to throw out... but it works like a charm.

OK, so for the 13 weeks or so that I have been living with braces, I have probably purchased at least 10 little GUM packs. Recognizing that I will have these things for probably another 20 months, I started wondering -- a) wasn't this going to get a little excessive $-wise? and b) what the heck would I do with all the little clear cases?

GOOGLE to the rescue! Look at what those cases are resting on. That's a ONE-POUND box of what appears to be E X A C T L Y the same product that comes in the GUM cases. Same color, same ropey shape, feels the same on my gum.

From my rough calculations, I could refill the little case 108 times with the contents of my one-pound box. If I purchased those 108 cases at my local drug store, it would cost $204.12 plus tax! What did I pay from International Dental Supply? $7.95 plus $5.00 shipping. ... AND I won't have 108 little cases to throw away! Look for item 245-0003, "Utility Wax 1 lb. Box White"

January 13 -- My 10-week checkup was early this week, at which time I received a full bracket on the lower right tooth that was previously able to accept only a half-bracket (as it was pushed so far behind it's neighbor). I also came away with a heavier arch wire, and the news that everything is progressing very well!

December 5, 2005 - Only 5 weeks since braces installed. Note the straighter line of the wire!

October 31, 2005

Approximately 8 hours after the dreaded appliances were installed.

Here's a link to the very nice web site of my ortho team. It is full of everything you always wanted to know (and some stuff you didn't ...) about orthodontics.

October 30, 2005

This is my unofficial "before" shot, taken at home as I sweat bullets. Tomorrow is the big day for installation.

I can't imagine how they will glue an appliance on that one lower tooth that sits so far back behind its' two neighbors.

This picture is actually rather kind to the 2 front teeth. They are temporary crowns and don't have the opacity of the expensive lab-produced kind. They were installed to better help the appliances hold on. After ortho, I will have permanent crowns remade.