expander

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#1 Post by **camille** » Thu Sep 14, 2006 4:20 pm

Hi! I know ArchWired is meant for adults but this is the only forum that looks helpful. I'm almost 14 years old, and I'm just starting orthodontic treatment. I already had my X-rays and molds (ew). My dad went to the consultation, and October is the big month for me. I have FOUR appointments! The first one is for spacers. The next one is for yet ANOTHER mold (more gagging). The third is to get a palatal expander on, which I'm terrified for. The last one is just a check-up. I'm going to have the RPE for 3 months, then get 4 teeth pulled, then get braces. Here are my questions.

1. Do spacers hurt? Some people have told me they can't feel them, and others say they're the worst part!

2. Does it hurt to get the expander installed?

3. How much does the expander hurt?

4. Will my speech really be affected? If so, for how long?

5. Will there be a gap in my two front teeth after expansion?

6. I have a severe gag reflex. Will the expander make me gag constantly?

I'm so scared for October!

Thanks in advance for the help!

#2 Post by **WeezieGirl25** » Thu Sep 14, 2006 5:04 pm

Hi Camille!!!

I'm 23 and I just got braces last week. I had spacers in for about a week and a half before my braces and my expander were put in. The first 3 days after I got my spacers I was miserable The first day I got them put in I was ok, it just felt like there was big chunks of food stuck in my molars. The next day and the day after that was when my mouth really ached. The spacers move all your teeth so it hurts all over. From my experience, the spacers hurt more than getting my braces and expander put on, but don't be scared, it's nothing you won't be able to handle!! After about the 3rd or 4th day with spacers my teeth started feeling normal again and I didn't even notice they were there. Advil really really helped me ALOT. I have an expander in my upper arch but it's not an RPE, it's just a wire that goes from one side of arch to the other to make my arch wider. It didn't hurt at all when I got the expander and my braces put on, and I've never gagged from it. It's not near the back of your mouth near your throat, it just sits in the roof of your mouth. I talked a little funny at first but you get used to it.. your "S" sounds may sound kinda funny. I have heard that the expander will cause gapping because it is enlarging your palate and creating more space in your mouth. I wouldn't worry about the gapping, it's all part of the process of getting your teeth where they should be. You will be fine when October comes!! From my experience so far it's not as bad or painful as I thought it would be. The spacers sucked for a few days but the pain was tolerable and it goes away. I hope I helped answer some of your questions. Everyone has a different experiences so keep that in mind too! Good Luck in October, I'm sure you'll get thru it just fine!!

#3 Post by **lemonlyme** » Thu Sep 14, 2006 5:28 pm

-spacers hurt and really sucked! it was hard to eat or even touch my teeth together for a few days, after that i was totally fine.

I'll be honest about the expander (i have an rpe), the day i got it in i was so irritated by it i almost went back and asked them to take it out. I still cant eat (3 days later) everything gets stuck in it, it's really hard to pronounce R's and S's but i'm getting used to it. It's horrible but i'm sure the results will be worth it!

To answer your other questions about it-
It hasnt made me gag
It was only slightly uncomfortable having it put in (the taste of the glue!)
It doesnt really 'hurt' but its uncomfortable and there is some pressure

Good luck!

#4 Post by **jmpmntwnty3** » Thu Sep 14, 2006 8:10 pm

I guess each case is a little different, because for me .. spacers didn't hurt at all. I guess it depends on your pain tolerance and where the spacers were placed. The only time I felt them was when I chewed up food. Other than that, I didn't even know they were there. The bracers were the worst part for me. But anyhow, to answer your questions:

1. The spacers didn't hurt at all (for me, at least)

2. Getting the expander installed didn't hurt at all, either. But the glue taste is horrible lol. You'll unfortunately tase it again when you get your braces put on.

3. Again, for me, the expander didn't hurt at all. It just made my mouth feel a little tight for about 15 minutes whenever I turned the key. You also feel a little tension in your nose area.

4. Your speech will be affected, but not horribly. If you do a lot of talking, then you'll end up getting used to it pretty quickly. My first day in it was pretty bad .. I constantly had to repeat myself. But after about the first week, I sounded 95% normal. And now, after a month and a half, my speech is 99% normal (I still can't pronounce words with the "e" sound normally).

5. Yes, there will be a gap between your two front teeth, but it won't be that bad. Your ortho will probably give you a power threader or powerchain to close it up.

6. I have a pretty severe gag reflex as well. When they put the RPE in, I did gag a lot for the rest of the day. But the next day, it got better. And also, your tongue does get used to it being there. I don't even feel it now

Good luck with your treatment! You're lucky to only have to have your RPE in for 3 months. I have to keep mine in for 6 more months (after 1 month of nightly key turns).

#5 Post by **KathleenH** » Fri Sep 15, 2006 3:13 am

1. My spacers hurt for about 3-4 days

2. Getting the expander installed didn't really hurt. I was a little sore from having my mouth open that long, but that went away within a couple of hours

3. There was one point in the expander-wearing process that really hurt - there comes a time when the ridge in your palate rips open (the point of the expander, after all), and it's excruciating. Nobody warned me of this, though, so I never expected it. Plus, I could not take ibuprofen, so couldn't even attempt to relieve the pain that way.

4. It will affect your speech, probably for a week or so.

5. I had a very slight gap in my teeth, but I don't think anyone else noticed.

6. I also have a bit of a gag reflex, but the actual wearing of the expander didn't bother me. Getting it out did, but that's temporary.

Of course, keep in mind that I became pregnant three weeks after having the expander in and suffered from morning sickness and sensitive gums and couldn't take anything for pain. So you should be fine.

There are days when it's not fun, but remember that it's only a short period of your life, that will produce great results. It's now been three years since my expander was placed, and I have just completed the entire process - braces, surgery, rubberbands, de-bracing. I am now awaiting my retainers, and I can't believe how the time has flown.

#6 Post by **cbushnaq** » Fri Sep 15, 2006 9:01 am

Hi Camille,
So far the spacers have been the worst part for me but after about a week they were more annoying than painful. I had my RPE installed 9 days ago and I am already getting used to it. I also have a severe gag reflex and did not once gag, not even when it was installed. I barely tasted the glue which I think is because the dental assistant that put on my RPE and braces did such an awesome job. The only pain I felt when installing the expander was getting the bands on. It was still very tight even after 3 1/2 weeks of spacers. I do not even want to think about how awful it would have been to put on the bands without having the spacers first. So just think of the spacers as your friend. They will save you from a lot of pain. I also got upper and lower braces on the same day and had a lot of pain from that but only because I have severe crowding in both upper and lower and the brackets hit when I bit down. Ibuprofen took care of the pain for me and my teeth have moved enough that the brackets are no longer hitting. I now have alot of pressure in the bridge of my nose that started about 3 days ago but it is not bad, very tolerable and ibuprofen takes care of it. I also have a small gap between my 2 front teeth which is very exciting to me since those teeth have always overlapped. Speech is still an issue but is somewhat better. I was told to expect about 1 month before it is back to normal but to expect some words/letters to give me some problems. Also practice talking. One of the previous posts had The Rainbow Passage link that is used by speech pathologists. (A special THANKS to the person who posted it! ) My tongue was sore for a while from pressing up against the expander but that too past quickly. I think the salt water rinses problably helped the most to toughen up my mouth and tongue. (Another special THANKS!) Eating has been the biggest challenge for me but it's getting better.

I have also heard that the younger you are the less problems you will have. I'm 42 and so far everything is going well. I was scared too but I bet everything will be fine and the end results will be worth every bit of it!

Good luck in October!
Cindy

#7 Post by **lm1243** » Sun Sep 17, 2006 12:47 pm

Well, the expander doesn`t really effect your speech unless you say something with an SH or if you say the word "Key."

#8 Post by **camille** » Sun Sep 17, 2006 9:13 pm

Thank you so much for all the advice!!! I'm feeling better about the expander now, I think I'm just going to talk a ton the day I get it to get rid of any speech problems. I have a new question, though. The orthodontist sent us a letter, and it said I would need lower jaw posturing springs attached to my braces. My friend told me that she had these and they're also called Forsus springs. She also said that they make your mouth look very wide and you can see bumps from them even when your mouth is closed. Does anyone know about these? I've seen pictures and they look terrifying. Thanks again!

#9 Post by **jaswi** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 2:33 pm

I think if you look around here they will be referred to as a herbst, dont know of any on here that have them, use a search. I've seen a few people with them and you cant notice em unless you know what to look for. I beleive what they do is pull your lower jaw forward with basically a bar that attaches from top to lower jaws.

#10 Post by **bracesmom** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 11:27 pm

1. Do spacers hurt? Some people have told me they can't feel them, and others say they're the worst part! They are not comfortable. I wont lie. Mine hurt but only when I bit down and there was preasure to my teeth. I too would say they were one of the worst parts.

2. Does it hurt to get the expander installed? I had an e-arch and it did not hurt to get installed because the spacers made enough space for it to go in comfortably.

3. How much does the expander hurt? Mine didn't hurt at all. I could feel a little preasure, but I called it "progress".

4. Will my speech really be affected? If so, for how long? It took me about a week to get used to and a couple weeks until I started to sound normal again. I didn't think it would happen, but it did.

5. Will there be a gap in my two front teeth after expansion? I was braced the same time to avoid this happening. With the e-arch and braces, the gaps were fixed right away.

6. I have a severe gag reflex. Will the expander make me gag constantly? I gagged the first day. After that, I was used to it. Awkward the first night having the expander though.