BROKEN EXPANDER 2 weeks Post SARPE

[bretodeau11]

I'm devastated.

I had SARPE Nov. 18th. Surgery went well. Surgeon activated expander with a resulting diastema. I started turning the expander like a week post-op, and my diastema was growing. About a week into it, the expander "jammed". The key would NOT Budge. I exterted so much pressure that the metal bit of the key literally BENT.

Saw my orthodontist. She reamed on it. Can't get it to move. She had to take it OUT of my UNSTABLE post-sarpe-broken-jaw mouth. Cleaned it, steamed it, etc... The expander is B R O K E N. Something with the screw? I don't know. We had to take new impression of my mouth before putting the expander back in to act as a retainer. In the time it took to fit new bands and take molds of my mouth, it seems that my diastema has already shrunk. It's still there, but the gap was noticeable larger. Ortho said the new expander should get here Tuesday.

But the first couple weeks after surgery are the most crucial when it comes to expansion, I thought.

Has anyone had this happen to them? Any thoughts? I'm so worried about the outcome now, and about the thought of relapse in the future. I mean I'm truly devastated here. I thought surgery/recovery was the worst part of this whole thing.

[Carno]

Any updates with this? How'd it go with the new expander?

Sounds like awfully bad luck, sorry you had to go through this!