Metal Mouth Message Board

Hi doctors, I was just curious...if I were to need elastics is there some sort of tool that you can use to help yourself put them on/remove them? and also is there a type of palate expander that doesn't use a key? The reason I ask is that I have mild cerebral palsy and it affects my fine motor skills especially on my right side.

So needless to say I don't have the greatest finger dexterity at times which would make it hard to apply/remove elastics and to turn the expander key...and really the thought of someone having to do it for me is just a bit odd. I plan on asking my own ortho these questions (and more!) when I go to my records appointment Wednesday, but any feedback from the doctors would be appreciated!

I don't know about the expander, but as for the elastics tool, when I first got elastics, my orthodontist gave me a small plastic tool to help me put them on and take them off.

Then my brother in law threw it out.

Aww sorry to hear that Good thing there is such a tool, but let's hope I won't need elastics!

Regarding the expander, one of my friends had one of those. She said that it was rather complicated. She was the only one I've known that wore that kind.

Elastics... there is such a tool. However, I could never figure out how to work the darned thing. So I just put the rubber bands on with my index finger and my thumb. The next time I get elastics, which should be soon, I'll see if I can figure that stupid tool out.

Best of luck!

I have been wearing elastics since day one (over a year now w/ different types of configurations) and when he would put them on me at the office, he used what seemed to be tweezers....maybe you could hold the elastic with the tweezer and start it on the first loop and just pull it w/ the tweezers to the next spot.......just a suggestion...seems like it may be easier then using your fingers.

Thanks for everyone's advice, here's to hoping I don't need them!

There are elastic tools that help out with hooking the rubberbands up properly. The ortho office should be able to teach you how to use it pretty easily.

As for the expanders, there are some that work without a key, but it really depends on what type of expansion they are trying to get (dental or skeletal). Good luck.

Randall

Hi all, my ortho said for elastics he could either give me a tool or if I really can't do them, then use those coil things. I WON'T be getting an expander (thank God) but a Porter appliance which just moves the teeth. I'm SO happy about that! Woohoo! (He said splitting/expanding my palate at my age of 21 would really hurt because everything is fused together)