TracyP Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 My 7yo had a dentist appt today. Her front teeth are crowded and coming in crooked. They want to put a rapid jaw expander in. I spent some time researching and don't see any negatives to doing this. I am very (probably overly) sensitive about unnecessary treatments so I guess I am a little paranoid. Is anyone familiar with this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katilac Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 Very common. I don't know anyone who has had issues with it, or felt it was pushed unnecessarily. In your case, it sounds like there's no doubt that her teeth are indeed too crowded, so I wouldn't hesitate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie Laurie Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 My 10 yr old is about to get one for crowding. Everything the ortho said to me and showed me made sense. Maybe go have a consult and see how you feel? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denise in Florida Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 My dd now 17 had an expander when she was 8 or so. I was very reluctant because it sounded extreme and painful. It really wasn't that bad and it made a world of difference. I am very glad we did it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aggie Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 My dd now 17 had an expander when she was 8 or so. I was very reluctant because it sounded extreme and painful. It really wasn't that bad and it made a world of difference. I am very glad we did it. Same here, except dd will tell you how paaaaainfuuuulllll it was. ;) Dd's expander has kept her from having braces as a teen. Will your dentist be doing this or are you being referred to an orthodontist? Our pediatric dentist wouldn't put in an expander. Ask your orthodontist what to expect in 5 years if she doesn't have an expander now. That could be deciding factor for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TracyP Posted June 8, 2011 Author Share Posted June 8, 2011 Very common. I don't know anyone who has had issues with it, or felt it was pushed unnecessarily. In your case, it sounds like there's no doubt that her teeth are indeed too crowded, so I wouldn't hesitate. Thank you. That is exactly what I needed to hear. My 10 yr old is about to get one for crowding. Everything the ortho said to me and showed me made sense. Maybe go have a consult and see how you feel? When I talked to the dentist it made sense to me too. He actually said it would be "beautiful" and she would "have a new smile in 6 mos" but then I started to think about it and wonder if it was necessary. I'm feeling better now. My dd now 17 had an expander when she was 8 or so. I was very reluctant because it sounded extreme and painful. It really wasn't that bad and it made a world of difference. I am very glad we did it. This is how I was feeling. Thanks for sharing your positive experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zaichiki Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 This was our experience. Dd really needed it. It wasn't at all painful. Very common. We found out that several of our cousins and a handful of our friends had had it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In the Rain Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 My oldest dd had one at 8yo. My 7yo dd has one now. We used orthodontists for both girls. Orthos give free consultations. We received several opinions before choosing a doctor and deciding to proceed. Keeping them clean is the hardest part. Pain has not really been an issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TracyP Posted June 8, 2011 Author Share Posted June 8, 2011 Same here, except dd will tell you how paaaaainfuuuulllll it was. ;) Dd's expander has kept her from having braces as a teen. Will your dentist be doing this or are you being referred to an orthodontist? Our pediatric dentist wouldn't put in an expander. Ask your orthodontist what to expect in 5 years if she doesn't have an expander now. That could be deciding factor for you. Did you give her anything for the pain? Was it constant pain or just at the beginning? I had braces...I wonder if it was a similar pain. I am going to sound ignorant here. I would have thought he was a pediatric dentist but I was referred to him by my neighbor. I'm 99.9% sure my neighbor said this dentist is the one who did her dd's braces. Is it possible to be both? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UmMusa Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 My DD7 had the expander in for a few months. Her teeth were growing over each other, so it helped make room for everything. We're happy with the results and I think it prevented some bad teeth situations in her future! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jewellsmommy Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 My dd now 17 had an expander when she was 8 or so. I was very reluctant because it sounded extreme and painful. It really wasn't that bad and it made a world of difference. I am very glad we did it. Yeah, it sounds like medieval torture :001_huh:. I have heard that it is much better to do it younger then older. I hope it goes well. Dd is in phase 1 braces, and I thought that I was going to hear constant whining. So far, nothing. Well, except for the fall she took and the brackets did a number on her lip. But no mouth pain from the actual reshaping :D. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aggie Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 Did you give her anything for the pain? Was it constant pain or just at the beginning? I had braces...I wonder if it was a similar pain. I am going to sound ignorant here. I would have thought he was a pediatric dentist but I was referred to him by my neighbor. I'm 99.9% sure my neighbor said this dentist is the one who did her dd's braces. Is it possible to be both? It wasn't constant pain. Mostly when we did the actual expanding. I've never heard of a dentist putting on braces. Orthodontic school is an additional 3 years after dental school. Personally, from what we saw, I would only go to an orthodontist for an expander. I love our pediatric dentists, but this is out of their realm, imo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barb_ Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 My didn't have one before her braces. She's 21 and her teeth are beginning to narrow and push together in a V shape in the front after 3k of braces. The next two had it done and their smiles are holding beautifully. No reason not to do it, IMO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pianoplayer Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 Ds had one twice (several years apart). Although the concept sounded to me like some kind of medieval torture, he handled it well and without significant pain. (Like someone said earlier, any pain was at the moment of adjustment, and then not severe and not all the time.) The biggest hassle with one is brushing well. We bought a Water Pik, which helped a lot with getting food that stuck in various and sundry crevices. Best of luck! We have an orthodontist we love, who has now treated both our kids. Hope you find a really good one, too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littlebug42 Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 My dd9 has one in now. It has truly made a big difference in her teeth in just about 6 months. What were crowded and messy are now coming in so beautifully. She also has braces brackets on her top front teeth to keep them from shifting around in the process. I don't regret having done it for a second. Sweet pea had pain in the beginning when we actually had to turn the key but no other problems. I do have to cut up her spaghetti because she says the long noodles get caught on her palate expander and gag her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie Laurie Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 When I talked to the dentist it made sense to me too. He actually said it would be "beautiful" and she would "have a new smile in 6 mos" but then I started to think about it and wonder if it was necessary. I'm feeling better now. I was naking and typing one handed and left out a lot. Yes, I know what you mean. They make money off of these procedures so I started wondering what is really necessary too, and what is just cosmetic and not so necessary. What made me feel okay about it was that my son's adult teeth that are coming in have no where to go, so they need to make room for them. And the crowding could affect his bite and jaw. Also, he will only need braces on his front upper teeth after the expander, if I left it he'd need full braces, which costs a lot more, my teen has them. Also wanted to mention that I had an expander as a kid and it was uncomfortable/painful at times, so were braces. But from what I understand, they've made some changes and they're not as painful nowadays. I sure hope so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
veggiegal Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 My hubby's brother did not have this done, and as a young adult his teeth fit together so poorly he couldn't chew his food. (No kidding--I saw him insert food, bite, and remove completely undamaged food from his mouth). He ended up having to have major surgery as an adult to correct this (bone removed from lower jaw). My son seems to have the same condition, I've seen the pics, done the research, talked to the ortho, and will definitely be getting the expander / spacer. So if it makes sense to you why your kid needs this, I say go for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucy in Australia Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 I agree with everyone who said "go for it", and I also say that this is the perfect age. I unfortunately waited a little too late with DS#1 and his teeth, although much improved, aren't as good as they would have been if we'd done it when he was about 7. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 My dentist didn't like them: he felt that they could change the shape of the face at a time when the bones are soft. We didn't get one for Calvin, whose front teeth stuck out and naturally rested on his lower lip. He had one tooth removed and braces at thirteen, and now has beautiful teeth. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donna Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 My oldest had one at 9yo. His baby teeth were crowded so we were looking at braces for 3-4 years plus numerous extractions according to the other two orthodontists we took him to. The one who suggested the expander seemed to be the best choice. He had the expander for about 18 months and his mouth is now nearly straight. Once they put braces on him it should only be for 12-18 months. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bettyandbob Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 dd had this at 8 for 6 or 8 months. Sometimes it hurt (like the time mommy accidentally turned the expander too far). Mostly, she was fine with it. It worked perfectly. No crowding now and her top front teeth look beautiful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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