Expander Pic - Anyone else have one like this?

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#1 Post by **Jillianleab** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 11:53 am

Here's a pic of my new expander. The ortho calls it an "ortho organizer". Anyone else have one of these?

#2 Post by **ladygal** » Wed Jul 26, 2006 6:33 pm

nope...looks painful though

#3 Post by **Indy** » Wed Jul 26, 2006 7:48 pm

I've never seen that one on the boards. Be careful eating pasta or spinach! That stuff can get wrapped around the wire and sometimes it will hang in your throat!!

I know from some experience.

My pendex looks like a regular expander.

#4 Post by **Bridget** » Thu Jul 27, 2006 12:50 am

Is this a "Palatal Bar" or how they call it? An appliance meant to keep the molars from moving forward??? If so I'll get the same some time during my treatment.

Does not look too bad I must say...Is it difficult to speak with that thing??? How about eating?????

Looking forward to your comments!

Bridget

#5 Post by **2oldtocare** » Thu Jul 27, 2006 9:19 am

I had one similar called a W-arch expander. It didn't have the added metal at the curves you have though. The metal went along the inside of my teeth like yours, and pushed the teeth out to align with the bottom teeth. I had it on for 15 months, took a while to not lisp with it. But I got used to it. It worked. But since it's come out my teeth are already tilting slightly back again. It's hard to keep adult teeth in position.

#6 Post by **Jillianleab** » Thu Jul 27, 2006 9:49 am

Well I hate to say it, but the thing has defeated me! My ortho told me when I got it put in if it was driving me nuts after a few days to come in and have it taken out. I wanted to stick it out - I really did! But alas, I'm going in at 3pm today to have it removed. I'm going out of town tomorrow for a week, and I don't want to wait until I get back. I haven't gotten used to talking with it AT ALL, not to mention if I cough of hiccup it makes me gag. The final straw was last night; the damn thing pinced my tongue! I feel so ridiculous for not being able to tough it out, but I'm really pretty miserable with it in! Maybe later in my treatment it can go back in and not be as scrunched up - that might help.

#7 Post by **Indy** » Thu Jul 27, 2006 6:39 pm

Jillian,
Don't worry. I'm surprised your ortho said he/she would be willing to remove it if it was uncomfortable!! Give any one of us that option and we (I) will go in to get our appliance removed in a few days

Do you know what it was supposed to do?

Any appliance in the roof of your mouth takes time for you to feel normal again. It took 2 weeks for me to talk normal and 1 month to be "comfortable" with it. And like many will tell you, you'll forget it's there after a little while!

Good luck as you continue your journey

#8 Post by **Jillianleab** » Fri Jul 28, 2006 5:48 pm

I'm surprised your ortho said he/she would be willing to remove it if it was uncomfortable!! Give any one of us that option and we (I) will go in to get our appliance removed in a few days

Funny you should say that... when I went in and he saw me, he smiled and grumbled "I never should have told you it could come out!" I said, "Too late! You already did!" It was supposed to assist in expansion with the archwires, but he's thinking I might not need it at all. I hope so! Timing was so bad with my trip out of town and everything - otherwise I probably would have stuck it out. If he wants to try it again I probably will... maybe

#9 Post by **jmpmntwnty3** » Fri Jul 28, 2006 9:08 pm

Haha, lucky you! I HAVE to have mine in, or else I'll be in braces for much longer than 2 years .. heck, my teeth probably won't even come out right in the end. And to me, what's the point? No pain, no gain right?

But I know you're excited because you might not even need the thing at all!!