Got me an RPE!

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#1 Post by **samantha_lou** » Thu Apr 27, 2006 10:59 pm

Some somewhat exciting news...I was due to go in and just have my spacers/seps checked to make sure that they hadn't fallen out, but since my RPE was ready and waiting to go...it was cemented in yesterday morning. I was very happy to get rid of the darn spacers and give those teeth a final flossing.

So, this is the torture device that I am now bonding with...

Its not been painful at all, I was really surprised. I was expecting sore tongue, sore teeth and generally a sore mouth. The only problem is eating, this has proved to be rather difficult as the food and the expander are somewhat mingling in a very annoying way. I'm hoping that eventually I will learn to eat with this thing, as we will be together for quite a whilst...but I am hoping to drop a few lbs along this journey!!

It was turned once by my ortho on the day it was cemented. Some pressure around the roof of my mouth and sinuses, but no real pain and it only lasted a couple minutes. At the moment, we are turning it once every five days, and my ortho will be turning it again on Monday.

Working in an office with an ortho, I've seen plenty of these RPEs coming in for patients, but I have to say, that mine was the tiniest I have ever seen, its just so dinky compared to most. My ortho thinks that I may even graduate to a second and larger RPE once this one is fully expanded - but we shall how things go and how much space we are able to create with this little gem.

Overall, its not great but its not terrible and I'm keeping my eyes focussed on getting ready for braces and getting rid of that daft concave curve that I have going on.

#2 Post by **JumpTheDitch** » Fri Apr 28, 2006 2:41 am

Congratulations samantha_lou, good luck with your ortho journey!

I'm lucky enough not to have had RPE or any additional appliances but have managed to lose a fair bit of weight since getting braced (without actually trying to I might add)

. I just bought a whole new wardrobe which was a bit naughty but lots of fun! Kinda makes up for the being-hungry-and-not-able-to-eat torture!

All the best!

#3 Post by **SamanthaClavier** » Fri Apr 28, 2006 4:14 pm

congrats,i just had mine locked in place today

#4 Post by **dbagnell** » Fri Apr 28, 2006 4:25 pm

congrats! it does look painful, though. the type i had wasn't the type you turn with a key - and i had it the first time i was braced, not this time. my 7 year old daughter will be getting one in the near future, however. good luck with it!

#5 Post by **samantha_lou** » Sun May 07, 2006 7:33 pm

So far it has been just over a week and a half with the RPE, and we have turned it four times - my ortho turned it three times so far and my husband turned it for the first time at home last night before bed. I have been taking photographs after every time it has been turned, but so far, no real visable progress, I will post another photo probably to show two months of expansion.

I have not had any pain whatsoever from this evil-looking device

Even turning the key and cranking it wider is a non-event, I feel some pressure on the roof of my mouth and through my sinuses for a few minutes, but it tickles more than anything. It only lasts a few minutes, then subsides - although I have always taken two tylenol fifteen minutes beforehand to make sure there is no pain.

Eating has now fully returned to normal, much to my disapointment as I was hoping to loose a few lbs with this thing - but it has not stopped me eating much at all

My speech was not really affected, I had a slight lisp for a day or two, but now it really isn't noticeable.

I do realise that I am fortunate in the fact that working with my ortho (and dentist), he can check my progress on a daily basis in the office - which due to my age and what we are trying to accomplish, he is doing very carefully. I will have some x-rays shortly with my general dentist, just to check the bone and roots of the teeth and see how everything is doing structurally.

Overall, the RPE has not been half as bad as I had anticipated..in fact, more spacers for when I finally get braces is a far more terrifying thought!

#6 Post by **candygrrrl** » Mon May 08, 2006 5:58 am

Congrats, samantha_lou! I've had my RPE in for a little over six weeks now. I had a tough time of it the first couple weeks, but now I'm used to it. Can even eat most foods, although I still have to go very slowly and take small bites.

Talking is much better as well, although there are still a bunch of words I can't say and I'm SO sick of explaining to everyone (especially over the phone) that no, I'm not drunk, I'm having work done in my mouth.

So how much expansion are you going for?

Keep us informed of your progress and I hope all goes well for you.

Candy

#7 Post by **samantha_lou** » Sun May 14, 2006 2:05 pm

I'm not entirely sure how much expansion we're going for, my ortho has said that he wants to have the teeth in the top arch "in line" with my larger bottom arch. But he's told me that because I'm 26 and there has been no surgery, there is no exact science as to how much extra space we're going to get! The problem is I have either two or four more teeth (need photo to count them!) on the bottom, so its quite a big bigger and my top teeth kinda sit inside the bottoms due to the narrowness on top.

I'm seeing my ortho usually twice a week at the moment, as he wants to keep a very close watch on whats going on. He spends some time checking the bone, roof of my mouth, and the position of the RPE. I'm feeling confident we're doing the right thing, and I'd rather try this option before going the SARPE route. So far, still no pain, normal eating and speaking has completely resumed and we've done five "cranks" in around three weeks. Overall I am a very happy bunny!

#8 Post by **samantha_lou** » Wed Jun 07, 2006 11:35 pm

I've been expanding for around six weeks now, and so I thought I would post an update! And see if anyone thinks they can see any progress!

This is how I started out - April 27th 2006

And this is after eight "cranks" - June 7th 2006

All is going well, ortho says he is very happy with how I'm responding to this and I've still had no real discomfort or pain. I'll be in my second expander by the end of the year, hopefully!

#9 Post by **jaswi** » Thu Jun 08, 2006 12:41 pm

awsome progress. Was this sarpe or just rpe alone?

#10 Post by **samantha_lou** » Fri Jun 09, 2006 1:54 pm

This is just with the RPE, no SARPE surgery. We're just taking it very slowly, which seems quite strange for "Rapid Palatal Expansion", we're just redefining "rapid"

I'm probably looking at a year to eighteen months with the combination of this current expander and then a second larger one. Its definitely a good thing that this "torture" device has never really bothered me in the slightest!

#11 Post by **samantha_lou** » Sun Jul 23, 2006 12:53 am

Okays, so I figured I would update with a little progress and another photo - we're now very close to the 3 month mark

Still no pain or discomfort, which is making this whole process an okay thing to be going through.

This is where I started - April 2006

And this is where we're at now - July 2006

I definitely think we've seen some progress in the first few months of this journey, and my ortho says he is happy with the results so far. We're down to turning the expander probably once a week, just taking it slowly - as he always reminds me, we are not in a race here...and I have to remember I'm looking at January 2008 before I get my braces.

I feel there has been more progress with the "better" side, the real "caved in side" seems to be taking longer to get itself straightened out, but I guess thats only to be expected.

#12 Post by **samantha_lou** » Sun Jul 23, 2006 1:27 am

I am lucky to have such a great ortho, and I really do appreciate him a lot. Its also fun that we work together, and he takes a lot of time to show me a lot about how orthodontic treatment works.

I'm looking at January 2008 as a target mainly due to completing the expansion, and then some time for stabilization. He's thinking I'll finish this expander hopefully towards fall of this year, and then we're going to put a bigger expander in, which will take me through most of 2007. Then some well deserved time off for good behaviour (although we are negotiating on whether we will just leave the expander in, or replace it with a retainer), whilst my roots and bone recover and become stable, before going into braces and finishing the job.

#13 Post by **samantha_lou** » Thu Aug 03, 2006 7:48 pm

Well, after three months with this delightful little RPE, my tongue has finally started to take a beating - just along the left side, lots of cuts and things are pretty much painful and scratched up. I've started with the salt water rinses and have helped myself to some extra wax!

Other than that, I'm really happy with the results - my teeth really are looking straighter. I'm finally starting to see that one little biscusp who always hid behind the canine!

#14 Post by **samantha_lou** » Wed Aug 30, 2006 10:55 pm

Its been around four months and a week since I got this baby cemented, and I think over the last month I have seen the most dramatic progress so far...the caved in side of my teeth and that hidden biscuspid have really started to straighten out - needless to say that I am ecstatic and my ortho commented today at how much progress we had made, and also said that there was lots more to come!

From this :

To this :

Houston, we have an arch!! Yay!

This is first time in many years that I have seen my teeth in some sort of arch-type shape...needless to say, kudos to my wonderful orthodontist!

#15 Post by **lemonlyme** » Thu Aug 31, 2006 9:58 pm

Samantha,

I was told most people get a huge gap in their front teeth from the expander, but you dont have that...I'm getting mine in 2 weeks and im terrified of getting a gap in my already messed up teeth. I hope mine works as well as yours and i dont get a gap.. Do you know anything about why you didnt get one? Thanks so much!