What's the maximum age for a palate expander in girls?

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ticcel
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What's the maximum age for a palate expander in girls?

#1 Post by ticcel »

My 8 yo. is a thumbsucker, and of course now needs a palate expander. The first ortho we saw said we needed to start treatment right away because the palate is generally fused by age 11. We tried to start treatment, but a couple of her back teeth are really tight, so getting the spacers in was quite an ordeal, and not as pain-free as I'd hoped. Some of her teeth were still quite sore two weeks later when we went to get the bands put on and a new mold done. After hearing that her spacers were going to have to go back in after the mold was done, she started to cry and refused to open her mouth. We tried bribery, threats, etc., nothing worked. I think she's just not ready, maturity-wise, and while her bite definitely needs fixing, it's not horrible enough that I'm willing to risk traumatizing her by doing it by force. I've been reading more about it, and some info I've seen says that the expander can still be successful as late as age 12-14. Which is right? Does stature make a difference? If a child is tall for her age, does that mean the palate might fuse earlier rather than later?

SDFD TSchott
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#2 Post by SDFD TSchott »

I can understand the pain situation for your girl... I don't think there is really an age limit as I've seen my next door neighbor with one and she is 53

~Tim~

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SDFD TSchott
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#3 Post by SDFD TSchott »

ok sorry for the confusion on my part I forgot to mention about (SARPE)

~Tim~

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Adjustment Sept 14th, 2018
Braces back on August 06, 2018
Braces off April 02, 2008

sauerkraut
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#4 Post by sauerkraut »

I can't really improve upon Meryaton's advice, but just wanted to add my bit of sympathy and support. :) It's tough putting your kids through this when they can't appreciate the long-term benefit, and I do feel for you.

I know from experience that adult reasoning doesn't always get through to an 8-year-old. :) But putting the spacers back in after they've just been removed won't be as painful as it was putting them in first time round, and the tenderness in the teeth does ease with time.

Having said that, you will need your daughter's ongoing co-operation when it comes to the actual process of expansion, including regular turning of the key. It wouldn't be much fun for either of you if that turned into a daily battle. :cry:

Like Meryaton suggests, the best thing would probably be to have a good chat with the ortho about the pros and cons of delaying this treatment. While you're about it, you could ask how long your daughter is likely to need to wear the expander if she starts now, and how many turns of the key are likely to be needed. Although if your ortho's anything like mine he won't let himself be pinned down to exact timetables!

For what it's worth, my ortho once told me that in general a girl's palate has fused by around age 13 - although up to age 18/19 isn't impossible. He fitted my younger daughter with an expander when she was 9, partly on the grounds that her second teeth would never have room to come through otherwise. I wouldn't claim it was an entirely pain-free process. But we came through it. She's nearly 12 now and enjoys giving me tips on coping with the expander now I've just had my SARPE!

I also have an 8-year-old son. And for him, I would have my doubts about letting him have an expander at his age - although fortunately in his case the question doesn't arise (yet!). Like you, I feel that he wouldn't be ready to cope with it. But it's amazing how much kids mature in just a year or two and as I say our (then) 9-year-old coped ok. And of course if you leave it too long it might still be physiologically (is that the right word?) possible, but you've got the emotions of a teenager in puberty to deal with along with everything else!! (Yes, I've got one of those as well!)

Sorry to be so long-winded.

All the best with your decision making and do let us know what happens!

ticcel
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#5 Post by ticcel »

Thanks for your responses. Meryaten, the reason for the expander is that because of the thumbsucking, her palate is narrower and more concave than it should be, and her upper molars are not where they should be in comparison to the lower molars. He said that if left untreated, eventually it would cause uneven wear on the teeth, maybe jaw pain, and other problems.

I know it's still going to be painful no matter when she does it, but I think she'll tolerate it a little better when she's older and a little more mature. There's no turning back now and getting it over with - it's already been two months since the spacers came out. We decided to give it at least 3 months before reassessing and deciding what to do and when.

Sauerkraut, thanks for the support. I'm also worried about the expansion process, having come across a few posts in other places from parents who've had to deal with resistance and tears at key-turning time. The ortho told me her teeth would be a little sore the first few days and feel a little tight after each turn. Obviously he was sugarcoating a little. ;-)

I think I will go back to the ortho and see about getting x-rays. They do just the hands and wrists, don't they? I think that's what I read. Anyway, if the x-rays show that she's still got a few years before it gets to be on the late side, then we'll wait a little longer. I know they're going to be painful no matter what, but I'm hoping as she gets a little older she'll be more reasonable, and more cooperative. And I'm hoping also as she gets a little older and more aware of her looks, she'll want to have it done, rather than her feeling like it's this awful thing that's being done to her.

Thanks again!

sauerkraut
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#6 Post by sauerkraut »

Hi ticcel: hopefully your ortho can advise you without needing wrist x-rays. That would be another medical procedure to put your daughter through. And without at all wishing to be alarmist, I have read that the wrist x-rays have quite a high radiation level so I would only want that carried out if it was absolutely unavoidable. (That info was in the context of my doctor wanting to test me for osteoporosis, where the tests have to be repeated after an interval, so forgive me if that's irrelevant here.)

If it would help, would you like me to ask my daughter to post a bit more about what it was really like for her as a 9-year-old to have the expander and how she coped with it? Just wondered if it might help your daughter to see it more from another child's perspective. And my daughter is used to reasoning with her own little brother! I'm sure she'd be happy to help if she could. :)

ticcel
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#7 Post by ticcel »

Meryaten, yes that's exactly it - high and narrow palate. As the dr. described it, the back teeth should sort of link together, with the upper teeth coming down just slightly outside the lower tooth line. Hers don't - they're more to the inside, so there's not a fully connecting bite surface in many spots. She's also got a bit of an open bite in the front from this, although for some reason it's not as bad as it used to be. Maybe it's just from facial growth, I'm not sure. But even though her smile is improving, I still want to do this before she gets too old - I definitely don't want her to have to go through surgery! :shock:

Sauerkraut, I didn't know that about the wrist x-rays, thanks for the tip.
I'd love to hear from your daughter, thanks! Did she have any tongue soreness or blisters? I heard that can sometimes be a problem.
Did she have a lot of soreness during the expansion? I read that sometimes you can adjust the schedule to turning the key just once a day if there's a lot of soreness, and that it just takes a little longer to complete the expansion doing it that way.

My daughter will be 9 1/2 next summer, so I guess maybe that will be the best time to do it. (I figured starting the process at the end of the school year would be best so that she doesn't have to try to focus on school work while obsessing about her sore mouth - knowing her, I know that would be an issue).

Thanks again! :)

sauerkraut
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#8 Post by sauerkraut »

Well I explained a bit about this to my daughter, and she's written your daughter a note, which I shall reproduce word for word as I think it's really sweet!

"Hello!

I've already had the treatment that you're going to have.

Putting the blue rings in is alright, just that you've got to be careful when you eat. When there's room, the dentist puts the same thing in there again, just it's metal rings and not rubber. It pushes a bit and sometimes it hurts, but the dentists are usually very careful. Afterwards it hurts when you eat and talk, but after about 3 days you don't feel it at all any more. There's one thing you have to get used to is the food always getting stuck. It's funny, you're always slurping and spitting, but your Mum can't tell you off! Sometimes you have to pull the braces a bit tighter. Then it pulls for the rest of the day, but of course you get used to it.

Good luck, and be brave!"

I suppose on the whole we got off quite lightly really. When I asked my daughter about it again, she said the worst part for her was being fitted for the thing in the first place - and that's the bit your daughter's already half managed once!

My daughter had no trouble with a sore tongue, but she did get the occasional ulcer (=canker sore?) which she's prone to anyway. A bit of numbing gel usually sorted that.

Our ortho took it slowly with turning the key - which meant it took many weeks to achieve the full expansion, but at least there was only 1 turn a day, reducing eventually to a turn every 2 or 3 days. We did that at bedtime. My daughter also had to wear headgear at night, fixed to the expander with ever-increasing strengths of elastics, so putting that on and turning the key in the evenings got all the painful bit over in one go. You do feel pressure on your teeth but at least she could sleep through the worst of it. Painkiller taken half an hour beforehand helps with that.

Your plan for starting next summer when your daughter's turned 9 sounds like a good one to me. Hope your ortho agrees!

All the best. :)

ticcel
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#9 Post by ticcel »

That is so sweet!! Thank you so much, and tell your daughter thanks very much. I will show this to my daughter, I know she'll appreciate it.

Thank you again, you've been a big help! :-#) :flowerbloom:

Orwellian
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Re: What's the maximum age for a palate expander in girls?

#10 Post by Orwellian »

My 13yo friend just got one in September, and it is working how it is supposed to.
Sentence:18 months
Full metal braces
Consultation: January 15, 2014
Bonding: March 4, 2014
1st adjustment: ?
My Story:http://www.archwired.com/phpbb2/viewtop ... =9&t=46420

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28monthjourney
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Re: What's the maximum age for a palate expander in girls?

#11 Post by 28monthjourney »

I have one at 19 and I'm beginning to see a small gap even without palate surgery. It takes awhile (mine doesn't turn with a key, it has a spring that the orthodontist activates every other appointment or so) but it's definitely worth it!
Sentence:
28 months in full upper and lower braces, open coil spring for additional alignment space for permanent teeth to erupt, elastics to align back bite, bite turbos, and palate expander.
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