First of all....

Message

#1 Post by **EmmaCanadian** » Fri Oct 15, 2004 4:16 am

I would like to say Thank You for creating this forum

it's much appreciated!

My son is 8 and he has both an upper and lower expander. He got them on Sept. 2nd and is doing well. It's strange tho that I don't see much of a difference in his teeth yet as I had read somewhere that even after the 1st week of having the expander on, that you could see a gap starting between the 2 front teeth..I don't see that yet!

I know it's different with everyone, so I'll be patient!

We go to the Dentist once a week and have them turned because I found that it is much easier, for me anyway, to have him do it. Parents are usually the ones that are supposed to turn them, but, I couldn't do it right.

His dentist doesn't mind doing it and it only takes 1 minute of his time when we go in there..lol.

When we went last week to have them turned, my son asked him if he could turn them 50x each

it was funny....and he ended up turning the bottom 5x and the top just 2x. This week he turned the top and bottom 2x only and my son says it doesn't really feel like anything!

I was told he would be in the expanders 6-9 months, so we will see!

I'm sorry this is so long but it's kinda like an introductory post...lol! Forgive me Lynn!!

#2 Post by **Taf** » Fri Oct 15, 2004 9:44 am

How does the expander work? Is it like an over the head-gear system??My daughter is 11 and we have been told that the only option to make room for new teeth is to extract 4 teeth (1 in each cornerish). I feel this is extreme, and was interested to hear of your sons expander.
Thanks for your help, I`m keen to get lots of advice before I let them take the teeth out - once they`re gone, they`re gone, and she`s so young!!

#3 Post by **EmmaCanadian** » Fri Oct 15, 2004 10:48 am

The palatal expander is a horseshoe-shaped device that is placed on the roof of the mouth behind the child's teeth. Essentially, the palatal expander encourages growth of the bone and can make a narrow jaw wider. A similar device can also be made for the lower jaw. There are several types of expanders but all have a center screw that must be turned with a small key. The expander is "activated" by placing the key into the keyhole in the center screw and then gently pushing the key toward the back of the mouth one notch

I had asked my sons dentist if pulling teeth was an option, and with my son, it wasn't. When I was in 4th grade I had 12 teeth pulled(as my mouth was too small for all of them) including the 4 *corner* teeth that you are speaking of. My mouth is fine today and I've had no problems...that just wasn't an option in my sons case.

Here are a couple of pics of my son's expanders and I hope this info was helpful to you.

#4 Post by **momof2grlz** » Fri Oct 15, 2004 12:12 pm

My 10 year old daughter had an RPE 1-1/2 years ago to correct a crossbite. I turned hers every night for 2 weeks and didn't really start to notice the gap in her front teeth until toward the end of the turning. It worked great to correct the crossbite, but now we're waiting for her baby teeth to come out so she can get braces to close the gap. It's a viscious circle!

Chris

#5 Post by **EmmaCanadian** » Fri Oct 15, 2004 12:25 pm

I was under the impression that as soon as my sons expanders came off, then the braces would go on, but I didn't think they would put them on baby teeth and he is FAR from losing all his yet..lol!

Website · #6 Post by **Debi** » Fri Oct 15, 2004 1:13 pm

Hi, thanks so much Lynn for this parent board! I think it's probably a fairly different experience for kids to get braces, when compared with adults.

My son is 9 and needs braces for the spacing between his front four teeth. He also has some crowding in the bottom. The ortho told us that he could wait another year before braces, but since my son has been in local news, I asked about getting his front teeth spacing closed mainly for photos. The ortho said that was no problem. Well, once they put my son's spacers in last week, and seeing the pain he was in, I'm wondering if I made the right decision. Should I wait another year? The braces are already paid for, so I'm not sure if we even have the choice of backing out. Besides, he wants the braces so kids will stop teasing him about his teeth. I dread the day he gets them on and is suffering.

I am wondering if anyone knows what they will do at his next appt. I know he needs a space maintainer for a pulled tooth, but now he had two more teeth pulled since the Ortho told us this. He should be getting his braces on at the next vist (Oct 28th). Do maintainers go on first? Or at the same time as the braces?

I went in to see about braces and thought since I paid for mine first, I'd have mine before him. Doesn't look that way, so I have no way of telling him what will happen next. I feel bad that he's going through this first.

I'm 48 by the way. My son is the youngest of four (3 boys, 1 tomboy).
Thanks again,
Debbi

#7 Post by **Taf** » Sat Oct 16, 2004 1:49 am

Hi Emma
Thanks for the photos, they have given me an idea of what I sould ask the dentist. It may still be necessary to extract the 4 teeth, but I would like to check out every other option first, and now I can ask about this.
I was so happy to find this site, other parents can help and advise each other - well done to the administrators for thinking of it

Thanks again

Tracey

#8 Post by **momof2grlz** » Sat Oct 16, 2004 5:52 am

EmmaCanadian wrote:I was under the impression that as soon as my sons expanders came off, then the braces would go on

My daughter's RPE was in-place for about a year and then the ortho removed it. The crossbite hasn't returned. We see the ortho every six months so he can check the progress of losing her baby teeth. She probably won't get full braces for another year, maybe two.

Chris

#9 Post by **nimo** » Sat Dec 17, 2005 8:13 am

I'm not a parent, so I can't really say what is the right thing to do in Debi's case. But from what I know, and what I've heard, braces and the whole process hurts, and it's not always fun.

From what I know of my own experience as a kid with crooked teeth, it's much better to get the braces done and over with. I've endured over a decade of people teasing me because of my teeth. Compared to two years with braces, I think the obvious choice is a little pain for a lot of reward. There's no way that seeing him in pain is going to not make you unhappy for him, but it really is for the best.

Parents please please please take care of your kids' teeth!!! It will be so good for them in the long run!