Expander (hyrax) questions!!

[lorlind]

I took my 9 year old to an ortho consult last week.
They want to put her in phase 1 - four brackets on her four top front teeth, and an upper expander in the roof of her mouth.

I have several misgivings about the expander and hope that someone can help me if your child has one:

1) Will it affect her speech? She already takes speech at school for "S" pronunciation. Will the expander make it worse? I worry about kids making fun of her.

2) I've read some things about expanders causing neurological damage to the brain on the internet. Have you noticed any changes in behavior and/or intelligence since your child got an expander?

3) Does it affect how they eat and what they can eat?

4) Does it hurt them when you turn the key? My girl is a drama queen, and I dread having to turn that key!!

Thanks for any help or advice you can give me!! I'll be calling the ortho this week to make the appt. for Phase 1!!

[drrick]

1. It will prob effect her speech initially, but ultimately it will probably improve her speech since when completed there will be more room for her tongue

2. Never heard anything like this before

3. initially but they adapt very quickly

4. It probably will, but she will complain less now than if you wait and she needs surgical expansion

[Dr. Randall]

I agree with Dr. Rick on this. But it disturbs me that the nuerological damage story is out there and believable. Hyrax RPE have been used for decades with very few ill side effects. In a 9 year old patient they work very quickly and efficiently and are a very common Phase I treatment. I would like to think that I could help put your fears to rest as I use RPE's fairly common for kids of this age and have seen tremendous results over the years. Don't worry, it sounds like a solid treatment plan.

Randall

[drrick]

Yeah that distubed me too.
Where do people come up with this stuff.

[lorlind]

Thanks so much for your advice!!
I feel much better about the expander now and I've already called the ortho and made the appointment.
Now that I know what to expect, I'm not so worried!!

I found that webpage when I was researching the expander online. It alarmed me, but on the other hand I was skeptical since there are so many untruths out there on the web!!

Thanks again!!

[Taf]

My daughter is 11 and has just had an expander fitted on top and a lip bumper on the bottom. She is coping really well.
We found the spacers caused a little discomfort, she had them for a week before the lip bumper went in. So far, she has had no pain with the expander at all, I turn the key 1 time one day and 2 times alternate days - in the morning and late afternoon. She feels it, but she says it is OK and doesn`t need any painkillers.
As for speaking - yes it does take a while. She`s had it in a week now and is still talking a little strangely - but lots of her friends are either having or have had similar treatment so it`s nothing new for anyone to make fun of. She reads out loud a lot to me, while I´m cooking etc - which helps.
And eating is still a little tricky, but getting better every day. The first few days she stuck to soups, soft pasta, semilina puddings, yoghurts etc. Now she tries pretty much what she`s always eaten, but is a lot slower.
As for the neurological problems - I`ve never heard of any and am sure glad to hear from Dr Rick and Dr Randall that it`s not a problem.

I think one of the most important things is for her to understand why she`s doing this - she wants teeth like Kylie Minogue!!!, so she`s prepared to work with it to get the results. A positive attitude is essential.
Her next stage is headgear, once the expander comes out.

[Guest]

Another thing that might help your daughter, Lorlind. Yes she will speak funny while getting used to it, but it will give her something to show others, as to why she is speaking funny. Sort of a show and tell... Hopefully she can use it to her advantage.

[Maggie]

Another thing that might help your daughter, Lorlind. Yes she will speak funny while getting used to it, but it will give her something to show others, as to why she is speaking funny. Sort of a show and tell... Hopefully she can use it to her advantage.

Another thing to keep in mind, is while in the short term braces and orthodontia can be hazardous to teeth, in the long-run having straighter teeth can actually imporove speech.

[momof2grlz]

Lorlind,

My daughter had an RPE for about 6 months when she was 8. It really helped widen her palate and correct her crossbite. She had a problem pronouncing some of her letters for a short while, but quickly overcame that. Not too much trouble eating, either. I turned the key every night for a couple of weeks. She took some Tylenol the first couple of nights but nothing after that and never really complained - except when I jabbed the roof of her mouth trying to get the key in the daggone slot. Just be sure when you turn it that you get a full turn before you remove the key so that the slot is accessible the next time you turn.

Kids are incredibly resilient. May daughter isn't really a drama queen, but she's kinda squeemish and never had a problem. Good Luck!

Chris

[Taf]

My daughter has just had her expander removed. She only wore it for 3 weeks and in that time her front two teeth seperated and made a 7 mm gap - big enough for her to insert her finger in the space - it was amazing.
But I am not sure if it was a Hyrax or RPE (sp?) expander or not. It was like a clear plastic mould of her teeth, splt in the middle with a mechanism in the roof of her mouth that widened each night by turning the key. At first there was no gap at all, and after a few days a gap appeared and grew gradually. The whole of her teeth were in the mould and seemed to move as a complete unit - split down the middle.
She now has a retainer to hold the space for 12 weeks and then she gets a "spider" appliance and head gear.
She has had no problems with pain at all -luckily!!
Before treatment started, she had a lovely smile, all teeth alligned nicely and looking good - until you realised that the eye teeth had to fit in there somewhere too.
I am still surprised by what can be achieved in such a short space of time - I hope the rest of the treatment carries on as successfully as the first part.

[Taf]

I´m going to try and past a picture of her expander - here goes...


Hope you can make it out! (I`m new to this - can you tell?? )

[Shelby014]

sry, i know teens/kids arent supposed to post here, but i just had to comment.

i had a space about half that size that i thought that that was huge, but that is a gap and a half, how does she feel about that? is she self conscience about it, because i was SO self conscience about mine....i was just wondering.

[Taf]

Hi Shelby.

No, she`s OK about it. The orthodontist MADE the gap, before she didn`t have one at all, and she knew that a gap would appear. But things move on quickly, and now her teeth have spaced out better and the gap doesn`t seem too big. There is new space for her eye teeth to come down which will eventually push the middle teeth back together and close the gap. She also wears head gear 24/7, so if anything she`s more self conscious about that than the gap!

[Shaunz68]

man you have one tuff minded girl, i bet your so proud!