DD just got palate expander.. Help!

[walkerag]

DD11 just got a palate expander put in yesterday. Overall she's doing well and in good spirits with only some mild discomfort. The only problem is she won't eat

The hygenist suggested anything soft for the next 24-48 hours (mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, etc.). We tried the mac and cheese last night and it got stuck in the expander which lead to tears from DD. She tried again and ate all of 3 green beans but didn't get them stuck. She's taking big drinks of water to wash her food down.

She's kind of picky and won't eat jello or pudding and is not a big fan of soup. I ended up giving her a milkshake last night so she'd have something on her stomach. I'd appreciate any input anybody may have that has experience with this. What did you make that's soft but not so mushy that it gets stuck? I just feel so bad for her

 

[Eeyore'sthebest]

Try protein shakes. When I had a broken jaw (aged 10), I had protein shakes 3 times a day. My mom would put ice cream in them to make them taste better. Try that for a day or two and hopefully by then the pain should ease. Good luck with it.

 

[disneyeveryyear]

Both of my kids had these, or something similar that sat in the roof of his/her mouth.

My DS had a lot of issues with his and ultimately lost 17 lbs. that winter (which he didn't need to do). With the weight loss and a growth spurt, it was a "slim" summer.

My DD fared a little better, but she also dealt with food getting stuck. The night she ate fresh pineapple almost drove us both over the edge.

Mashed potatoes were good, breads were really tough, sandwiches got hung up, bagels were horrific.

Maybe some of the Ensure Protein shakes, as previously suggested would work well for her, especially at school for lunch where she doesn't want to deal with trying to dig the food out in public.

What about oatmeal, cream of wheat, etc.? Those can be filling.

Hopefully she gets used to it sooner rather than later.

 

[Gigi22]

When I had strep throat on top of mono. I survived for 2 weeks on vanilla milkshakes and custard (made from Bird's custard mix--Jello vanilla pudding is probably very close to it). Not great from a dietary viewpoint, but it was something smooth to get by on.

 

[cabanafrau]

I'm sure my answer won't be appreciated, but I'll try anyway. Your DD is just going to have to learn to adapt & find what works for her & what doesn't. I completely understand that as her mom you feel worried & also feel bad for her. If possible, try to back away from that stance in front of her & help her try to treat it as her new normal, because it is. She will adjust & your attitude can really help her with that.

Older DD needed the expander & was also 11 when she got it. A friend called before we left that morning & wanted us to meet her for the kids to hang out at a park where she was headed with hers & some others she was watching for the day. I was hesitant because I thought DD might be miserable but she really wanted to hang out w/ the girls. We went & DD wound up eating a slice of pizza for lunch. It wasn't easy, but she dealt with it because she wanted to be in the thick of the fun. Wound up being such a blessing because she already had conquered the hard part in her own head.

My friend knew she had come from ortho & having expander installed & kept making comments to me & I told her not to let DD hear any of it from her because it seemed like she was working things out for herself. Two years later her DD had to have the expander put in & she primed the worry pump for weeks ahead of time. Her DD was a wreck before, during & for several weeks after. I tried to pull her back on the sympathy train but she wouldn't listen. Her DH told her to knock it off after the expander was in because their DD was a mess, missed school for a few days, the works. She vented to me & asked me what I thought & I told her her DH was right. She told me I just couldn't understand. I reminded her about my DD seeing her immediately after leaving the ortho's office (same ortho even) and my asking her not to make a fuss over my DD because she was handling it. She insisted I just didn't understand & was raising them tougher at my house.

Give your kid helpful suggestions & encouragement, but please don't approach it as if it's something awful because IMO it does make it harder to adjust.

 

[lovin'fl]

Give Motrin. Maybe try popsicles, scrambled eggs, bananas as well as what others mentioned (oatmeal, mashed potatoes, protein shakes)...maybe spagetti Os or rice or french toast with syrup and milkshakes are good too. Could even let her eat peanut butter by the spoon. She'll eventually get used to it and figure out how to get things un-stuck.

 

[LynneIL]

Ds just had his put in at the end of September. The first few days were rough. It was hard to even drink water. He had soup the first day and then just kind of figured it out as he went. It was tough for the first week – really tough. Then he figured it out and now he’s doing great. I usually totally forget that he has it now.

We had to turn the key every night for the first month and now we are in the waiting phase… just waiting for the bone to grow into the new space created. He developed a huge space between his two front teeth during the month that we were turning the key. Now, after a month of not turning it, his front teeth have shifted back into a more normal position.

The first week is awful and then they figure it out. This is their new normal for the next 6 months or so. She’ll need to just figure out what works and what doesn’t. Good luck!

 

[dsneprincess]

We have been there, done that with DS. His went in at 9, and he did eventually learn to eat everything. It was slow going at first & took a long time to eat, but they do learn to adapt and eat.

 

[mjkacmom]

My kids had/have the removable kind. Dd16 was able to learn to eat with it in, dd9 takes hers out (she's had it for a couple of years now). Ds9 got his last week, and lost it already. I asked to have it cemented in, but he has some mouth issue where that won't work, so he's getting a replacement on Monday (chaching, chaching). I'm not going to let him take it out to eat. He is skin and bones now, but I can't afford a new one every week!

 

[aejammers]

Buy a WaterPic to help get out all the stuck food. My DS had an expander when he was 7 and the ortho suggested a WaterPic. DS would run to use it after everytime he ate. He could get the little Pic part into any place that had the stuck food.

Eventually he got used to getting the food unstuck without needing the WaterPic all the time, but it was a lifesaver.

 

[mamamary]

I don't remember what my son ate but I don't remember doing anything "special" because of it. I think it annoyed him during the first day or two but then right after that it was almost like he didn't even have it - he adapted very well to it. Good luck!

 

[JKMJ441724]

When I first got my braces, I LIVED on mashed potatoes and gravy from KFC

 

[krcit]

How about pastina? that's what both my girls ate the first 2 days or so with the expanders, then they just got used to it. Good luck

 

[mmackeymouse]

I work at an Orthodontic office so this is right up my alley. However, you have already gotten perfect advice from those who posted ahead of me.

What your daughter is going through is perfectly normal, and understandably frustrating. Most kids get used to their new appliance within a few days. Her mouth will adapt, and learn to chew a certain way or swallow a certain way, which will mitigate those times that food will get stuck. We do suggest a Waterpic as a tool to flush some of the food out, but most of the time, like I said, the patient learns how to eat with it, and they don't need the Waterpic.

There is nothing wrong with giving her a milkshake the first couple of days. But, the sooner you can get her to try eating real (soft) food, the sooner she will start to adapt. Likewise, the longer a person waits to try to eat normal food, the harder it is for them to get used to it.

I will tell you that a large majority of our patients, probably 8 or 9 out of 10, get used to it fairly quickly and are fine. But, that other small percentage are usually boys, whose mothers are very, very.....how do I say this....coddling. And they cannot bear to see their children in pain or unable to eat (which I can understand to a point). The parents either come in claiming that we need to take the appliance out.....he just can't take it. Or, the kid ends up trying to pull it out on his own.

Be kind and understanding, but firm. Is it annoying? Sure. But, it sure as heck beats having to have jaw surgery down the road.

 

[walkerag]

Thank you all for your suggestions and words of encouragement. And Cabana, I don't disagree with you. We took a very direct approch with her going in to this. Explained to her that she's going to have a little pressure, eating will be kind of a PITB for a while and she may talk funny, drool, etc.. but not in a way that expressed we were worried at all. She did fantastic getting it put in yesterday and I really dindn't go into great detail about eating, aside that food might get stuck and to drink some water after taking a bite. I know she'll be alright but I have to make sure she has something on her stomach, especially in the mornings, because she takes Adderall in the AM before school and it can upset the stomach if taken without food. Fortunately, she didn't have any trouble at all taking her meds this morning. I may be able to get her to eat some mashed potatoes tonight and we are planning to get the waterpick for her in the next day or so.
I like the idea of putting a little ice cream in some ensure. She's not really thin, just average, so I don't think losing a pound or two will hurt her.

We got very lucky with the key turning. Once a day for 14 days and she'll have to wear the appliance for 6-9 months. I've also mananged to hide my own angst about turning the key. Thank goodness I took that drama class in high school because inside I'm really freaking out a little

 

[Wishing on a star]

Two words for her...
Suction Power!!!

Anyone who has not dealt with something like this is probably blissfully unaware of just how hard it can be to eat, and move the food to the back of the mouth and swallow, without being able to use your tongue because that darned thing is in the way!!!

If she does try to use her tongue too much, it could get raw and sore from the constant rubbing and pressure.

I know it must be so hard... but she will learn and adjust!!!
Suction Power is her friend. Same for braces on the teeth when she gets those.

And, know that this is indeed the worst part of these expanders.
It felt wierd, but it wasn't really painful... One day the pressure is enough that the palate begins to 'give'... Then one might even have a little gap between the front teeth.

I hope things improve for her.
Sending hugs!

 

[DontRushMe]

OMG! My dd11 will have her expander 1 week tomorrow! We have had a hard time too, Thanksgiving was mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie filling. Staying away from bread sandwich style seems to help. Tonight for dinner we made sloppy joes, her all time favorite. I was thinking she could just eat the meat but she wanted it on the bun for "full yummy ness". She ended up eating it with a fork and took small bites but got it all down. I think the fork vs taking a bite helped. We also have a stock of SpecialK Protein Drinks on hand. She is not complaining just trying hard to get used to it. Good Luck!

 

[tinkerbellandeeyor]

DD11 just got a palate expander put in yesterday. Overall she's doing well and in good spirits with only some mild discomfort. The only problem is she won't eat

The hygenist suggested anything soft for the next 24-48 hours (mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, etc.). We tried the mac and cheese last night and it got stuck in the expander which lead to tears from DD. She tried again and ate all of 3 green beans but didn't get them stuck. She's taking big drinks of water to wash her food down.

She's kind of picky and won't eat jello or pudding and is not a big fan of soup. I ended up giving her a milkshake last night so she'd have something on her stomach. I'd appreciate any input anybody may have that has experience with this. What did you make that's soft but not so mushy that it gets stuck? I just feel so bad for her

What is the difference between this and spacers spacers is what was put in my mouth right before braces not fun

 

[clh2]

What is the difference between this and spacers spacers is what was put in my mouth right before braces not fun

If I recall - a spacer is used to allow "just a teensy bit more room" inbetween teeth so that there was room to fit the braces.

And - I believe the purpose of the palette expander is to create a lot more room so the teeth "fit" better in the mouth - my DD had braces put on at the same time - so that it would help get the teeth into the right position and then hold them there.

Not to be confused with the quad helix which helps with a cross bite.

(Hope I am correct with this. We have been done with DD's dental work (a quad helix when she was 3, palatal expander and braces when she was in 3rd grade, and a second round of braces when she was a freshman, and a year ago as a senior - she had wisdom teeth out.)

My advice to the poster - hot dogs (no bun) where "deemed OK" to eat by DD when she had the expander. She just ate them more on the sides of her mouth. And - we were warned not to give her super hot food - because if food gets stuck - it is easy to burn your mouth when you can't easily remove it.

Good luck - they really do adjust quickly!!!

 

[tinkerbellandeeyor]

If I recall - a spacer is used to allow "just a teensy bit more room" inbetween teeth so that there was room to fit the braces.

And - I believe the purpose of the palette expander is to create a lot more room so the teeth "fit" better in the mouth - my DD had braces put on at the same time - so that it would help get the teeth into the right position and then hold them there.

Not to be confused with the quad helix which helps with a cross bite.

(Hope I am correct with this. We have been done with DD's dental work (a quad helix when she was 3, palatal expander and braces when she was in 3rd grade, and a second round of braces when she was a freshman, and a year ago as a senior - she had wisdom teeth out.)

My advice to the poster - hot dogs (no bun) where "deemed OK" to eat by DD when she had the expander. She just ate them more on the sides of her mouth. And - we were warned not to give her super hot food - because if food gets stuck - it is easy to burn your mouth when you can't easily remove it.

Good luck - they really do adjust quickly!!!

Thank you