Talking with an expander: When does the saliva end?!?!!

Message

#1 Post by **junkee** » Fri Feb 27, 2009 1:04 pm

I'm on my 5th day with the expander. Talking is very challenging to say the least. But i feel the pronouciation of words is slighty getting better except for those pesky long "E" sounds. What is actually the most noticable is that i have to stop every so often and suck the saliva build-up out of my mouth. I start a sentence normally and then the words become more unclear as i keep talking because of the amount of saliva and then i have to stop and slurp it back. Its soo disgusting. Sometimes i wake up in the morning and i think that my speech is suddenly back to normal and then i realize its just because i have a dry mouth...once i get out of bed the salivary glands begin to flow like niagara falls (well not that bad... i'm not drooling or anything). Please help.

#2 Post by **braceasourus** » Fri Feb 27, 2009 1:17 pm

hey. Talking will totally get easier. I had an issue with saying "E" words too but its been a month now and i have to say my speach is almost perfect.

The drooling thing however... i dont know whats up with that but i have some serious issues with drooling lol. sometimes ill be sitting at my desk and just bamn i drool out of nowhere. I just try to be aware of it so i can stop it.

#3 Post by **isobelleo** » Sat Feb 28, 2009 6:12 am

Oh, I feel your pain, I really do. I'm wearing an Inman Aligner, which my dentist attached an expander to, and I've had it on now for 9 days. The first week or so was rather awful. Like you, I felt like Hannibal Lecter, constantly having to stop and slurp up my own saliva. Speech was virtually impossible. But on about day 7, I think I had a bit of a breakthrough. I had my first week check-up and I think he tightened the expander - it now sits very flush and tight against the roof my mouth and is making my molars ache, but it's easier to speak now AND I think my mouth is learning to adjust and produce less saliva.

Hang in there, I think you'll be surprised at the improvement in the second week. All a matter of getting used to the thing. Good luck!

#4 Post by **chicago29** » Sat Feb 28, 2009 11:15 am

Trust me...the saliva will stop, even though you think it never will. I'm in my 4th week with hyrax expanders on both TOP and BOTTOM. In fact, now I think I don't produce enough saliva sometimes and my mouth feels dry

Talking will get easier too, but in my case it will always be impacted until these puppies are removed. My tongue is literally caught between two pieces of obtrusive metal, so some words just aren't going to sound right.

With only an upper expander, I'm willing to bet in a couple of weeks hardly anybody will notice, including yourself.

Good Luck!

-Chicago29

Sat Feb 28, 2009 6:25 pm

I don't have much time to reply
but drink bottled water with a squirt of lemon juice.
It will decrease your saliva big time.

HTH
Karen been in expander for 3 months now- 3 more to go LOL

#6 Post by **junkee** » Sun Mar 01, 2009 8:23 pm

eyebeablessing, i tried the lemon water and no luck but thanks anyways. I guess i just have to wait it out. You'd think by day 7 my mouth would stop salivating like the expander is food or something. I'm hoping this week it will settle down.

#7 Post by **rak** » Mon Mar 02, 2009 1:46 am

I have a Nance holding arch and I had that same overproduction of saliva problem. I had to stop in the middle of sentences so that I wouldn't drool

!
After a week or so it got back to normal

! Don't worry too much... You have "something" in your mouth that probably your body recognizes as food, so it produces saliva. It will eventually get used to it and stop