RPE Questions --- gaps, time, etc

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#1 Post by **BrandonH** » Tue Jan 01, 2008 9:12 pm

I'm going on Thursday for what my ortho calls the "work up." I'll do pics, molds, etc. I could also get some spacers.

I know that I'm getting an RPE. He told me I'd develop a gap between my front teeth. However, we didn't discuss much past that.

After some research, I'm finding that the gap can be a biggie

It's not something that will keep me from getting braces, however.

Here are a couple of questions (which I know I'll find out in 2 - 3 days, but I'm anxious

)

1) How big is the typical gap?

2) When does the gap show up?

3) How long does the gap hang around?

The Ortho said the RPE would be in for 4-6 months. Will I have braces on my top teeth right away, or do I have to wait the 4-6 months before the braces go on top?

Thanks for any help / advice --- I just want to get this show on the road!!

#2 Post by **adrienne** » Tue Jan 01, 2008 10:22 pm

Hey. I'm 15 so I'm not sure whether my experience will be close to yours because my sutures or whatever haven't bonded or whatever. If you're an adult, are you getting SARPE?

1) My gap was about 7 or 8mm.. can't quite remember haha but it was big
2) I had a total of 30 turns I had to do (after that, I had to do 15 more). I started noticing a teeny weeny gap half way, about on the 15th turn, and it got bigger and bigger from that.
3) My gap stayed until I stopped turning my RPE and it completely closed in about 2 weeks after stopping turning my RPE.

The thing that happened to me was I got my RPE and I had to do 30 turns, and I had to do 45 more because it worked well. He left it in for a while then I had it taken out for a quad-helix which doesn't need turning which is great. He also put a lingual arch on my bottom arch to make sure the molars won't turn or something.. I'm not quite sure about that one though ahah. My quad-helix is focused on pushing my right-side out because I have a posterior cross bite there.. and also because my left side worked way better than my right so its uneven.

I've had my quad-helix for a think a month and a half, and I'm finally getting my braces on Jan 17th.

It depends also whether you'll get your braces with your expander. Some people have that done for example.. my friends, but some don't .. like me.

#3 Post by **BrandonH** » Tue Jan 01, 2008 10:40 pm

Everything is being done at the ortho office and to my knowledge, my ortho is not a surgeon, so I can only assume it's a "regular" RPE.

Based on everything I've read, some Ortho's won't do a regular RPE on an adult.

He did tell me that I would be making 2 turns 3 days per week (Mon, Wed, Friday). He said I'd have the RPE in for 4-6 months.

The gap worries me simply because my job requires me to deal with the public --- it's pretty much the lifeblood of my career (I'm a banker). I think the cool thing will be that customers / friends won't have a problem asking about the gap or braces, whereas in years past they'd never consider making a comment about my jacked up teeth

I know I'll have tons of questions (and answers) on Thursday morning.

#4 Post by **bohy1b** » Wed Jan 02, 2008 6:12 am

Yeh, you might want to get some second opinions about this in relation to non-surgical expansion. From what I have read, the most optimistic (and not in the mainstream) say that you can get none surgical expansion in males upto the age of 22-24 (and even then not in all cases). It is younger for females.

If you are that old or even close to that age, non surgical expansion will cause tooth dipping, and gum recession. <-- get a second/third opinion

As for the gap. I had sapre. after 2 weeks of a scheduled 4 weeks of expansion i have not developed a gap yet. Dont know if something is wrong or I am just really lucky (luck isnt my forte usually though).

#5 Post by **sauerkraut** » Wed Jan 02, 2008 8:47 am

Hi Brandon and welcome in advance to the wonderful world of RPEs and expansion!

I think the first thing you'll find is there are no "typical" experiences! I had SARPE 3 months ago and expanded very rapidly afterwards: 4 turns a day for about 10 days - which is not typical. An enormous gap (1cm+) opened very quickly but has already closed itself without any further intervention. Again, not typical!

What I have found in common with many others, though, is that the RPE takes some getting used to what with dribbling at first (only a day or two), and eating and speaking taking quite a bit of practice. You'll be amazed how quickly you adjust, though. And if the gap bothers you, you can disguise it to some extent by sticking wax across it, attached to the backs of the teeth either side of the space. I didn't bother with that even when the gap was at its widest, and did not receive any adverse comments. People hardly seem to notice!

I agree with others on here who have questioned how much genuine expansion you will be able to achieve without SARPE. It's certainly worth asking your ortho about it when you see him. Although if he's already warned you about the gap opening up then it sounds like he's pretty confident...

Hope all goes well tomorrow!

#6 Post by **BrandonH** » Wed Jan 02, 2008 5:01 pm

He did the same RPE procedure on his borther (who is much older than me) and it worked great.

#7 Post by **crazybeautiful** » Thu Jan 03, 2008 7:46 am

I take it you don't need too much expansion, then? For me, and by the sounds of it sauerkraut too, without SARPE I wouldn't have been able to get the space I needed. And if you aren't getting much expansion, your gap shouldn't be that big (or indeed, physically can't be that big without SARPE) and so I would imagine it would close quite quickly.

My gap is closing gradually now (I got about a cm space overall, but my gap wasn't that big

)

#8 Post by **BrandonH** » Thu Jan 03, 2008 4:43 pm

Well, I have to do turns on Mon, Wed, and Friday --- two turns on each day. I'll do this for 4-6 months.

He said that all I have to go is 4mm, but that he'd have to expand more than 4 mm to account for relapse.

He said there will be little or no gap. The top braces are going on in 2 weeks (spacers were put on today) as well as the bottom braces. I go next week to get fitted for the RPE, which goes on after the braces are on.

I told him my concerns and he said that basically doing braces for an adult is much different and takes more time. He said that I'm not at any kind of risk --- it's just gonna take some time.

#9 Post by **AliKat** » Fri Jan 04, 2008 5:17 pm

Hi,

Im getting my expander fitted on Monday (thats if i dont need to get spacers back in so it'll fit) but ive not really had it explained to me that well, I dont know if I turn it or the othro turns it or what so im really nervous about getting it!

To top it all off Ive what I thought was a bad throat infection since New Years Eve, got antibiotics from Doc over the phone and it didnt clear up so went back this morning to see him, he took a look at the back of my throat and said "OUCH" Its agony - he said its an infected ulcer - I suffer from mouth ulcers regularly but I have NEVER had one at the very back of my throat - its about the size of a 5p or a dime or quarter to the Americans so Ive got different antibiotics - just hope it starts to clear before Monday!!!

#10 Post by **Zameera** » Sun Jan 13, 2008 4:10 am

I'm 14 & my RPE treatment is already over (a month ago) but I didn't develop any gaps.

#11 Post by **esmeraydances** » Mon Jan 14, 2008 6:59 am

Tipping and gum recession can happen in adults with surgical expansion and non-surgical expansion.

#12 Post by **crazybeautiful** » Mon Jan 14, 2008 10:57 am

esmeraydances wrote:Tipping and gum recession can happen in adults with surgical expansion and non-surgical expansion.

Surely this is more of a risk in non-surgical expansion, though. It's just a point of consideration

#13 Post by **BrandonH** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 4:45 pm

How long before "normal" speech is returned?

I'm so much better after a couple of days, but certain sounds --- "th", "u", and some "d's" really give me trouble.

I've also found that talking slowly helps