how long did you wear your expander or are still wearing it

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#1 Post by **pinkdiamond** » Fri Feb 10, 2006 7:55 pm

Hi Everone one,

I was wondering how long was your treatment with your expander .
And if your not done yet how much more time do you think you have .
I was just wondering because my ortho told me about 3 months and Ive talk to people who have worn them and they usually have worn theres for much longer .

Pinkdiamond

#2 Post by **stargirl** » Fri Feb 10, 2006 8:33 pm

Hey!

The ortho told me I would have my expander for 6 months, but I ended up having it for 7.

I think 6 months is the standard? Could be different for everyone, though...

Good luck!

#3 Post by **Aradia252** » Fri Feb 10, 2006 10:06 pm

I was told months ago that I would get my lower expander out in January. Last time I went in, it changed to April, which would make my expander time about 7 months.

#4 Post by **ssfw** » Fri Feb 10, 2006 10:08 pm

Hi pinkdiamond,

My orthodontist said I will have the expander on for approx. 7-8 months and I know this is just an estimate. I'm suppose to have the expander on for about 3-4 months to correct my crossbite then will get my braces and he will leave the expander in for approx 3 additional months to be sure the expansion stabilizes.

ssfw

#5 Post by **pinkdiamond** » Tue Feb 14, 2006 12:21 am

Well I hope my ortho is being honest, I let you all know at the end of 3 months . Hope it comes off then because this is a real drag

Pinkdiamond

#6 Post by **luxekitty** » Tue Feb 14, 2006 12:22 am

I just got mine on today (TPA), and I was told I'd have to wear it until the end of treatment.

The ortho said it was cause my case was "complex" *sigh*

#7 Post by **Shoegal** » Tue Feb 14, 2006 6:28 am

I don't mean to sound dumb but for those of you who have to wear the expander for such larger peiods of time, why don't you just have the surgery? The results are better and are lasting. You don't have to worry about relapse and you don't have to wear the torture device for more that 3-4 months. I don't mean to sound harsh, I really don't. It is really just a curiosity of mine. I just felt like I spent all this money and I wanted to do it right. BTW I had the surgery/expander so i have been there.

#8 Post by **Svensk Tiger** » Tue Feb 14, 2006 6:50 am

Shoegal wrote:I don't mean to sound dumb but for those of you who have to wear the expander for such larger peiods of time, why don't you just have the surgery? The results are better and are lasting. You don't have to worry about relapse and you don't have to wear the torture device for more that 3-4 months. I don't mean to sound harsh, I really don't. It is really just a curiosity of mine. I just felt like I spent all this money and I wanted to do it right. BTW I had the surgery/expander so i have been there.

Perhaps their cases aren't severe enough to justify surgery? Or perhaps there are other issues that you don't know about?

I've had my expander in for just over two months now and will be needing it for a while longer yet. It wasn't a case of choosing the expander only option over surgery + expander, it was a case of my ortho and surgeon deciding that the best option for me was to attempt non-surgical expansion first as I am also having maxillary impaction, a mandibular advancement and genio and they felt that SARPE on top of that was too much surgery.

If my quad helix doesn't work I will have SARPE at the same time that I have the other surgery.

#9 Post by **butterfly** » Tue Feb 14, 2006 7:33 am

I am wondering as well... I have mine for 6 weeks now. It already created
a new space of several millimeters - enough to fit in all the teeth. If I expand 5 more months in a pace like this I wil look like a hippo