Staceyshoe Posted October 2, 2013 Share Posted October 2, 2013 Ds is getting a palate expander later this month. I can only assume that his mouth will be sore and that he won't want to bite down on anything hard. Other than having soft foods available, is there anything I can do to prepare for this? (His pain tolerance isn't the best, so I'm guessing that this could be a bit traumatic.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted October 2, 2013 Share Posted October 2, 2013 Have plenty of ibru or tylenol on hand. It may feel really tight and sore each time they (or you) turn it, or it may not be that bad--hard to say. Make sure you have a water flosser or other flosser on hand (there's one called a hummingbird that is pretty easy to use and not as messy as a waterpik), as you will want to keep it clean. Hang in there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiramisu Posted October 2, 2013 Share Posted October 2, 2013 I have the memory that some of mine had a harder time with the spacers that they had in preparation for the palate expander than the actual expander. I would be prepared for that with pain reliever and soft foods. My kids didn't feel pain only pressure with the turning. One had sore spots off and on from the metal hitting the inside of her cheek but there's wax for that. The increased saliva is kind of gross but that only lasts a very short time. Sore tongue also. Just let them know that will go away soon. I think it would be scary to think you had to actually live with that discomfort for a long time, rather than knowing it will only be for a few days or so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiramisu Posted October 2, 2013 Share Posted October 2, 2013 The device goes in and is in for about a year without coming out. They tell you not to eat certain things that can get stuck in it, but basically it's life as normal. It influences speech a bit. You get a "key" and insert it in a hole in the expander and make a turn, or two, everyday or every other day. I had one dd who needed more turns than another. It seemed I was turning forever and I think we set the world record. She has a very nice smile now and good cheekbones. Once you stop the turning phase, the expander is left in for several months. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer3141 Posted October 2, 2013 Share Posted October 2, 2013 DD gets hers out on the 21st!! She had it put in on June 24. We are incredibly pleased with the speed and the results. Braces should be off by Xmas and she will be getting taffy and popcorn. :laugh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staceyshoe Posted October 2, 2013 Author Share Posted October 2, 2013 Can someone give me more details about this? DS may be getting one and I don't really know exactly what it is. Do they ever take it out? How long do they have it? Can you eventually eat regular foods? I think it varies depending on the orthodontic problem and the dr. We saw 4 orthos before choosing ours. They all recommended an expander but had very different protocols for both the expander, braces, and teeth pulling. The dr we chose will leave the expander in for 3 months and then place a small space-saving device for approx another year. (If ds didn't still have so many baby teeth, the space-saving device may not be necessary.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hillfarm Posted October 2, 2013 Share Posted October 2, 2013 Do not get confused if you let your dc have some cheese crackers right after the device is applied. Do not assume that the speck of orangey yellow you see in the roof of their mouth is cheese cracker goo. Do not scrub their mouth out with everything from a toothbrush, to a Waterpik, to a fire hose and scrub brush, trying to get rid of the suspected goo. Do not apologize profusely to the orthodontist's staff when they take the appliance out, feeling so horrid about that goo in there. It is not goo. It is the arrow showing which direction to turn the key to expand the device. It is molded into the plastic. No amount of vigorous scrubbing would have removed it. Do not hang you head in shame, remembering all you have put your dc through, trying to scrub it out. This did not happen to me, no! Um...it happened to ...a friend of mine. Yeah, a friend of mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomtoCandJ Posted October 2, 2013 Share Posted October 2, 2013 What's the earliest and latest age to get a palate expander? Dd1 will most likely need one, and we need to save the money for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staceyshoe Posted October 2, 2013 Author Share Posted October 2, 2013 Do not get confused if you let your dc have some cheese crackers right after the device is applied. Do not assume that the speck of orangey yellow you see in the roof of their mouth is cheese cracker goo. Do not scrub their mouth out with everything from a toothbrush, to a Waterpik, to a fire hose and scrub brush, trying to get rid of the suspected goo. Do not apologize profusely to the orthodontist's staff when they take the appliance out, feeling so horrid about that goo in there. It is not goo. It is the arrow showing which direction to turn the key to expand the device. It is molded into the plastic. No amount of vigorous scrubbing would have removed it. Do not hang you head in shame, remembering all you have put your dc through, trying to scrub it out. This did not happen to me, no! Um...it happened to ...a friend of mine. Yeah, a friend of mine. LOL! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
datgh Posted October 2, 2013 Share Posted October 2, 2013 Ear plugs for yourself because the slurping noise kids tend to make when they have a pallet expander will drive you insane after awhile. Also, have your child be careful when swallowing pills. They tend to get stuck between the expander and the roof of the mouth. Then you will hear even worse sounds than slurping! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodland Mist Academy Posted October 2, 2013 Share Posted October 2, 2013 Ear plugs for yourself because the slurping noise kids tend to make when they have a pallet expander will drive you insane after awhile. I had forgotten about that!!! Those days showed the shallow limits of my tolerance levels. . . Thankfully she finally adjusted. Her ortho recommended lots of reading aloud to help her adapt to the device. So in other words, school as usual... ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodland Mist Academy Posted October 2, 2013 Share Posted October 2, 2013 DD had hers in for 6 months. The first night was the worst. She was crying in her sleep and making terrible expressions. It was hard to watch; I wanted to tear it out right then. I think I woke her up to give her more pain medication--goodness, I hope I did! I can't remember...Surely I did, right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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