PSA: If you or someone you love wears braces

[Queen of Oakville]

If you or someone you love wears braces ... please do NOT forget to pack your dental wax.

 

{you can stop reading at this point!}

 

Day 2 of our trip, and my daughter has a wire poking through to her gums. I found out yesterday that the wire had slid, was too short on one side and too long on the other.

 

She forgot to pack her wax.

 

We had fruit gummies, and I thought I could smoosh a fruit gummy on to the wire. Before we left the cabin and made it to the Fun Factory the gummy had melted in her mouth.

 

I went to the Medical facility, but alas they had no dental wax. In hindsight I should have asked if they could cut the wire, but I was being brushed off and they had no interest in helping me. A patient was also openly hacking in the area and I wanted to get the heck out :eek:

 

Next stop was the guest shops, thinking chewing gum might be the fix - no luck! They don't sell gum on board.

 

I tried cutting off the tip of a clean silicone ear plug thinking that would be safer for her tooth - but it would bounce right off (kinda like they don't' stay in your ears either!).

 

My only help was from the Fun Factory who had piñata candy to offer me. I had to keep a knife from the buffet in my room at all times so I could carve off chunks of rock hard double-bubble, softened under water, until it was pliable enough to smoosh over the exposed wire.

 

My next brainwave was candle wax!! I asked at the Oceanview and was told they did not have candles. They told me to check with various bars. While I was at the Martini bar, a helpful lady suggested the Tuscan grille because they had birthday candles. On the way there, I tried guest services and was told there were absolutely no candles on board. I went to Tuscan grill but they were not yet open. I tried another specialty restaurant and finally had the mercy of someone who admitted to having candles, but would not give them to me. I finally persuaded her to cut off a chunk of candle (no wick). I got back to my room and went to work on warming the wax, but it completely crumbled into dust. :(

 

I begged and pleaded with my cabin attendant and waiter to ask around their friends hoping someone who wore braces would be willing to share/sell some wax. I was told it was against their rules to give anything to a passenger, and neither was able to come through for me :(

 

I felt awful that a piece of sugared gum was wedged against my daughter's tooth all week. Fortunately, a trip to her orthodontist yesterday confirmed there was no damage to the tooth and the wire was fixed into place.

 

 

So if you or someone you love wears braces, please remember to pack your dental wax or you will be plum out of luck while on board. If all else fails, there will be a rock-hard piece of bubble-gum in the Fun Factory that may help you out :D

[jayoldschool]

Wire cutters would have fixed your problem in a couple of seconds. I did it for myself when I had braces, and now that I'm a teacher, I've done it for students that were desperate. Cabin steward would have gotten them from engineering staff for you.

[Queen of Oakville]

i actually had wire cutters!!! My daughter has a travel bag that holds her braun toothbrush, her tooth paste, and a few other things. When she first got braces, I bought a small pair of wire cutters to fit in that bag.

 

When I told her to make sure she didn't overpack, she left in the wire cutters but took out the wax!! My failing 40's+ eyesight .... her little 9 year old mouth ... and lack of lighting in the cabin, all did not bode well. I had my 8 year old trying to steadily shine the iPhone flashlight into his sister's mouth. I just could not see well enough to grab and cut the wire.

[JoyMouse]

Thank you for this. My nephew will be going on his and his parents' first cruise with us in May. I will let my SIL know.