Metal Mouth Message Board

I'm curious, I'd like to hear from those of you who have used an upper or lower expander successfully without surgery and how old you are.

I'm 46 and the ortho is suggesting a pallet expander on upper and lower and with all the reading I've been doing it seems that the chances of it working on someone my age is real slim.

Please post your age and if your ortho used a pallet expander on you successfully. Thank you, I need all the stats I can get before I go back in for my consultation.

Thanks so much!

Graceful, this subject may draw more strong opnions than any other in this board. There is data and evidence to support both sides and both sides will try to refute the other. IMO, it depends on the case. There are many people who have had successful, non-surgical expansion (myself included) and there are others who definitely need surgical assistance.

I am 34 years old and had a removable palate expander (Schwartz) for 6 months. While it was a hassle at times and learning to speak with it in took a week or two, the results were impressive. I have now been in full braces for almost 2 months. I am very pleased with my treatment so far and especially with the expansion.

Best of luck in your treatment!

Hi Grace. I'm 42 and have been in my upper removable expander for about 5 months. My expansion has been quite successful, and my b-day is scheduled for the end of this month.

I'm in agreement with Gunter regarding the hassle of learing to speak properly. Actually, I have never gotten the hang of it and still cannot pronounce certain words. As akward and annoying as it is, it sure beat the idea of surgery IMO. Not that I would not have gone that route if it were necessary, but seeing how much my palate has expanded over these few months is really amazing (4 months turning the key twice per week and now a month of settling before being braced).

48 and I have the upper expander (not removable), it's working very well for me. It's a pain to get use to and a hassle to eat, but you do adjust to it, I hardly know I have it at times now. My ortho and I have both been very pleased with the movement, I'm glad I went for it. I'm sure everyones experience is different. Good luck.

Wow, this is certainly very encouraging to hear your individual stories on the pallet expander. I'm impressed that there's potential and the possibility of it working without surgery. I pray that mine will expand without any problems because I really prefer to not go the surgery route. Thank you for sharing your stories, being 46 myself I just thought there's no way my pallet is going to expand at this age...but you all give me hope.

Thanks again,
Graceful

I just want to stress it's a hassle to have expander but after awhile you learn to deal with it and it's not forever. Food gets trapped under it and for the first few weeks you will have a sore tongue until they learn to get along with each other. I used tons of wax to get me through it. All and all I'm very happy with results I hope you will be to.

It would be nice if I had a removable expander then I could get in there and brush it etc. We'll see, I'm not sure if it would permantly cemented or one that is removable. I work as an administrative assistant and answer phones as part of my job so it will be interesting to see how that all comes together.

I suppose for a child, a removable expander may be a problem as far as their reliability wearing it. As an adult, I'm thankful mine is the removeable type. I do wear it about 23 hours a day total, but I could never eat with it and have gotten the okay from the ortho to remove it at mealtime.

There have also been a few occasions where we have gone out to a social event, and it was nice to be able to leave it out for a few hours. I could never have had a conversation without sounding like I'm drunk -- slurring my words (After 5 months with it, I still slur them and sound odd). I'd put it back in as soon as I got home. It would be tight, but within a short time, maybe a half hour, it would fit correctly again.

I'm still not sure why I've never gotten the hang of speaking with it. It seems everyone else has worked it out. I don't have a job where I am talking to anyone during the day, but I do have a husband and kids, so you'd think after 5 months I would have gotten it. No such luck, but I stuck it out and have done my time. Knowing there is an end date helps a lot. And looking in the mirror at my bite, I can see a huge difference in the width of my upper palate. Seeing good progress keeps me on track.

I had a fixed RPE at aged 26, had it four nearly six months - it worked really well. I then had it replaced with a schwartz removable appliance, hated it and wanted my bonded RPE back soooooo much! I just got my braces over a month ago, and am getting a second expander at the end of the month to go with the braces! The non-surgical route worked just fine for me, and will continue to do so I believe - but every case is different!

Wow Samantha...two expanders? I'm going to ask for the removable kind so when I have functions to go to with hubby I can remove it instead of having them think I'm drunk and slurring my words together.

I just had a non-removeable expander put in my upper jaw yesterday. My tongue is just starting to get a bit sore and eating is proving very difficult except for soup. I'm 36 years old and my ortho is quite confidant this will make a significant difference and shave off about 6 months of my braces. I'm sure it will be worth it in the long run but it's sure a pain right now. Hope everything goes well with your expander.

Hi Grace et all,


I began treatment a little over a year ago. I had upper and lower expanders placed, in my case they worked incredibly well over a period of about 6 months. The lower expander pushed my crowded teeth out even more whacky than they were to begin with, I then got bracketed, and had 4 teeth removed to create even more room (2 tops, 2 bottoms).

After about 2 months of being braced (8 months in total), they removed the upper expander completely. I am unfortunately still wearing the lower expander, not to create more expansion however. My ortho is using the expander to anchor my molars during the gap closure process on the lower teeth. He doesn't want the molars sliding forward to close the gaps as he's trying to bring the other teeth back to close the gaps.

Naturally, gap closure is taking a while, but the teeth are aligned nicely, it's just a slower process in older folks. Yes, the lower expander is the bane of my existence, it should come off when the gaps are closed on the bottom teeth. I'm hoping this will be around July which would mark 1 year in braces, 18 months including the time in the expanders alone. This was the alternative to jaw surgery for me, which I neither wanted nor could afford. BTW, I'm 39.

It's a slower process, but it's doable.

Hope this helps,
Wen

I'm about to be 20 next month and I've only had my expander in for about 3 weeks (though it seems longer) and I don't know whether I should be seeing results so soon, but in any case, I don't. Not yet, anyway.

Also, I still haven't been able to speak properly. I always sound drunk!

Just an update, I had my impressions for the expanders last week, I go back in another week to get the spacers back in and then the appliances will go in on May 3rd. I will also need surgery to bring my lower jaw forward about 6-8mm and my upper jaw foward but not sure how much.

I was suppose to have surgery the first time in braces but being young (21 years of age) I didn't have insurance and couldn't afford it at the time...I can't afford this time around either but I know God will provide a way.

Thought I'd bring this back to the top of the board again...

I just had my expanderS put in yesterday. It's a bit difficult to talk but I'm sure that will get better as others have said it does. I woke up this morning with a very sore throat and a tongue that is a bit sore. I can't wait to see what type of progress I make over the coming months...

Anyone new to having an expander put in???