Thank you for sharing your experience! Oh well, at least it can be fixed. He had to repeat some things many times, sometimes even using hand gestures. They look like toothpicks with little christmas trees on the end. He had a breakdown once and I managed to get him drinking banana milkshakes and that helped his mood a lot. It was in the early 90’s when I should have gotten one myself, I needed it. Take a look at our early orthodontic before & after photos to see just what's possible with early orthodontic treatment! He broke two permanent teeth (Argh!! I want mum and dad to turn the screw faster so it rises faster but they said no because they r worried it may damage my palette. He was a great patient and did an excellent job wearing his elastics. Dental Fun Update III: Braces on/Braces off | BagMomma, Tips on using an Expander for your Child’s Braces « Metal Mouth Media, https://s3.amazonaws.com/cgc-badge-v2/load.min.js, https://s3.amazonaws.com/cgc-badge-v2/common.js, https://badge.clevergirlscollective.com/v2/byFaT1Sz0frr38M06SqRQn0oKlCU1k05.js. My son gets his expander next week AND a tongue crib — at the same time. The metal taste will go away. I wanted to write about my son’s experience with a palatal expander, mostly because when I googled to learn about it, I found there’s not enough real information out there. Please give us some advice!! As mentioned above, a palatal expander is traditionally used between the ages of 7-14. Did you have any difficulty using the crank? Cassie had crowding, a deep overbite, excessive overjet, and an uneven smile. I tried to read up on it because the contraption seemed so painful I was a tad but nervous. We haven’t experienced sores and I have no idea what this wax business is about. I was grateful for the warning. Thankyou! It tends to stick like glue. if only I had stuck with simple stuff like ice cream, mashed potatoes, apple sauce. Answer: Removable palate expanders, when activated physiologically, are more effective than fixed. We’ve been told that we’ll be cranking until there’s a gap between her front teeth, then rest while the gap filled in and then start again until everything is in the right place with all up being . Hi I’m 24 and will be getting a pallet expander I’m nervous and scared !!!! This is exactly my situation! I am certain I am hurting her or even worse the screwy thing will get stuck in her mouth. He is miserable. My son is 7 yrs old and he needs to get the expander, but I am going crazy trying to make that decision, I feel so horrible thinking that my child will be in pain. agony! The rapid palatal expander (RPE) is attached to the upper molars. Hey! Lauren had an openbite, protrusion of the upper teeth and an uneven smile. I’m so worried. I get my expander in exactly 54 days (I know I’m kinda weird…counting down), I have to wait so long because of summer camps and the week for spacers, and then the two weeks where the impressions with the molar bands are sent to the lab to create the appliance. We truly love crafting gorgeous smiles for our patients, and we think our results speak for themselves. We kept them everywhere just in case! The more severe the alignment issues, the more expensive treatment can be. You have a great question that deserves a straight answer. Greatly appreciated!!! Ziti was the only pasta that did not get stuck! My daughter is about to get one placed and I am so nervous! My daughter 9 just got this yesterday, there has been no pain but she cries every time she tries to eat. I was just informed my 6yr old son is needing one due to overcrowding and cross bite. Despite the pain and discomfort experienced for both children and their parents at present, remember to focus on the big picture! Later in my teens I went through the braces, tooth extractions (all ten of them!) Caden had excessive spacing between his upper front teeth and protrusion of the front teeth. My daughter has just had hers ‘installed’ and to be honest I am having a complete meltdown. Ultimately, the end goal for every patient is a healthy, beautiful smile, but the methods and techniques used to get there vary greatly from patient to patient. After reading your experience, I feel somewhat prepared for what to realistically expect. Before insurance, how much was it to get the expander removed? Hope this helps someone else! I feel really disappointed that I missed out on such an important part of that process. Let us know about some types of jaw expanders. There are basically two types of dental expanders- removable and fixed. It doesn’t hurt when they turn it and I can feel some pain a while afterwards but I’ve dealt with worse pain for years. I am SOO scared please help! lol The thumb guard came out on Nov. 29, 2013. It was lunchtime when we were finished and he was starving so I made a trip to get a milkshake and attempted burger and fries. 1: Removable- This type is usually suitable for early to mid primary school age children. Your child's orthodontist will decide how often to adjust the expander to promote faster or slower expansion. The down side is you have to stay away from sticky foods. I had an expander back in the 1990s and it wasn’t the best time of my life, that’s for sure. This is because immediately after expansion the body begins to fill in the missing bone at the suture. I already see improvement in his mouth, and since he is starting to lose baby teeth again, he now has the room for his second teeth to finally drop down. Then I think it’s onto a retainer till the rest of his permanent teeth come in and braces can go on. Phew! Luke had crowding, an uneven smile, and an anterior crossbite. I just found out my 10 yr old daughter will need the expander, i’m so thankful to all that posted their experiences. plus mouth sore rinse. It was miserable. I was so worried he wont be able to eat without choking but know that I read it shouldn’t be too long before it feels more normal I feel better! The slurping! And her bottom braces/ wire. What is a palate expander? You should ensure that bacteria and food debris are cleared from around the expander device, especially if your child has undergone expansion surgery. Thank you for this! Day 3 for my 7 year old son with the expander. My son took mashed potatoes in a thermos, pudding, jello, yogurt, soup without pasta.. like tomato or broth. All up hopefully it will be out in 9 months – fingers crossed. My daughters was about 350 after the insurance paid their part. I paid about 800-900 dollars. It might have hurt me a lot having braces but I can now appreciate my determination and patience all the more. It was truly heartbreaking. The majority of our patients are receiving either adolescent treatment or adult orthodontic treatment, but in some cases, the best way to achieve a healthy smile is to start treatment early. For more information, or to make an appointment with Dr. Shinmachi, please use our Appointment form or call us: Mint Orthodontics Somerville Orthodontic Office Phone Number (908) … Less than a year ago, I had dental impressions made and purchased the palate expander, which arrived a month after the creation of the impressions. The expander is a custom-made an orthodontic appliance that fits at the roof of … Just let her eat soup yogart, soft stuff no cheese for the first few days. Also, it will take awhile for your son to get the hang of figuring out how to dislodge food particles on his own. haha! After seeing the Orthodontist and she said the 2 dreaded words to him “jaw surgery” he went cold turkey and gave up his thumb sucking. Surgically assisted rapid palatal expansion (SARPE), or surgically assisted maxillary expansion (SAME), is used in cases where a device alone cannot accomplish the expansion the patient needs. What do they feel like does it hurt? UGH! Thank you again, Pingback: Tips on using an Expander for your Child’s Braces « Metal Mouth Media. This demonstrates nicely why sometimes it is better to correct a problem early rather than waiting for full braces. . An orthodontist typically indicates a removable expander when a patient only needs minor jaw widening. Using the palate expander is the first step in making room for the rouge teeth that can’t squeeze into place.