Palate Expander

[fakereadhed]

I really disagree with this. I keep hearing about how much "easier" it is to expand the palate at a young age, but these kids spend many more years with appliances in their mouths. We got a third opinion for my daughter and went with one that will not start until they are facially mature. He says you don't know how much room they will have until they stop growing. DD had an extreme overbite and very crowded teeth. In 18mo total, she had palate expander and braces. I think it was 8th into 9th grade. She is a senior now and has a beautiful smile! Many of her classmates spent 2nd-10th grade with orthodontic care and ended up with the same results.

 

[Swimalie]

I really disagree with this. I keep hearing about how much "easier" it is to expand the palate at a young age, but these kids spend many more years with appliances in their mouths. We got a third opinion for my daughter and went with one that will not start until they are facially mature. He says you don't know how much room they will have until they stop growing. DD had an extreme overbite and very crowded teeth. In 18mo total, she had palate expander and braces. I think it was 8th into 9th grade. She is a senior now and has a beautiful smile! Many of her classmates spent 2nd-10th grade with orthodontic care and ended up with the same results.

In my case, I spent only 4.5 months with the jaw widener and only 10 months in braces and I was in 5th and 6th grades. So I spent limited amount of time but a lot earlier than your daughter. I think when to do the work can depend on how much work is needed.

 

[fakereadhed]

In my case, I spent only 4.5 months with the jaw widener and only 10 months in braces and I was in 5th and 6th grades. So I spent limited amount of time but a lot earlier than your daughter. I think when to do the work can depend on how much work is needed.

I didn't mean it should be the same for everyone, but if I had listened to the first two orthodontists, they would have started at 8 and done a two phase process over 5 years that would have cost twice as much. They told us it would be easier and she'd get better results. I don't see how the results could be any better.

 

[DebMcDonald]

I have three girls, 16 (almost 17), 9, and 7 and all three have already been to the orthodontist or finished with the orthodontist. The 9 year old finished with her palate expander, maybe about a year ago, currently has a permanent retainer and a space maintainer. The 9 year old is just on the watch and wait approach now, next step braces, but the 7 year old is on the watch and wait approach for the palate expander.

Back to your original question Our 9 year old didn't have any pain at all with the expander past the first night. I would not turn the "key" as it sort of grossed me out, so that was my husband's job, but she was an absolutely trooper.

Our ortho insurance covered the palate expander, but I'm sure that it will come off the other end when we start submitting for braces.

I have no idea how much we paid for the palate expander.

 

[DebMcDonald]

My biggest annoyance was hearing the "slurping" sound she made when clearing out the saliva that built up in it. Sooo glad it's gone now!

I completely forgot about the noise, but I agree completely it was so very annoying.

 

[bjscheel]

Is this used for an underbite ever? DD9 has one and the dentist talked about an "appliance" in 6 months, but I didn't know what that involves.

I had an underbite that went away as my adult teeth grew in, I'm praying for the same for her and avoid this stuff.

 

[dzorn]

It is very painful when you have to turn the screw to separate her jaw, but after that not much pain at all. Sometimes a pain in the but for eating sometimes food gets stuck on the roof of her mouth.

Denise in MI

 

[dzorn]

I have three girls, 16 (almost 17), 9, and 7 and all three have already been to the orthodontist or finished with the orthodontist. The 9 year old finished with her palate expander, maybe about a year ago, currently has a permanent retainer and a space maintainer. The 9 year old is just on the watch and wait approach now, next step braces, but the 7 year old is on the watch and wait approach for the palate expander.

Back to your original question Our 9 year old didn't have any pain at all with the expander past the first night. I would not turn the "key" as it sort of grossed me out, so that was my husband's job, but she was an absolutely trooper.

Our ortho insurance covered the palate expander, but I'm sure that it will come off the other end when we start submitting for braces.

I have no idea how much we paid for the palate expander.

Yep how ever much you spend on the pallet expander is counted toward the limit on ortho on the braces.



Denise in MI

 

[designhawk]

I would offer one opinion, as my DD (8 1/2) just stopped hers and moved to a regular retainer until her permanent teeth arrive... we had the option of a permanent or removable appliance. We chose the removable because she was able to choose the color and even had glitter on one side. In any case, it cost about $450. I was completely stressed out the entire time she wore it afraid that she would lose it or throw it away in the lunch trash. She did finally lose it, but luckily she had worn it long enough that it had done its job and the ortho let us move to the regular retainer. Otherwise, we would have been out another $450. If you can stomach the permanent option, I would highly recommend it - for your sanity, if not for your childs'!

 

[DebMcDonald]

Is this used for an underbite ever? DD9 has one and the dentist talked about an "appliance" in 6 months, but I didn't know what that involves.

I had an underbite that went away as my adult teeth grew in, I'm praying for the same for her and avoid this stuff.

In my DD's cases, it's for a cross bit.

 

[DipsyDoodles]

Did she go right into braces afterwards?

Nope, she didn't need braces.

 

[bartleby1]

My DS had THREE!
If they are going right into braces, I guess that's better.
My son had one when he was 8 for 6 months.
Then everything shifted back and a year later they said he needed to do it again.
They didn't put braces on so early back then.
So when he was 11 and ready for the braces, they had to do it a third time.
The ortho said he saw that problem a lot.
If it is done too early or braces are no put on it can shift back easily.

This is what our orthodontist told me would happen to my DS (he's 8) if he did a palate expander because his crowding was actually being caused by the way he swallowed. Each time my son swallowed, he was actually sucking his teeth in and pushing the palate up. The orthodontist told me that years ago, they would have done a palate expander which would have fixed the problem temporarily. However, if they didn't address the issue with the way he was swallowing, his teeth would all shift again.

So, what they did instead was give him a retainer that he wears at night that kind of looks like a football mouthguard to retrain the muscles that he is using to swallow so he'll stop sucking his teeth in. I really had my doubts about how it could possibly do anything because it isn't 'fitted' like any other retainers I've seen. However, the difference in his mouth since he began wearing it is incredible. His profile has changed and his teeth are straightening out and he has only been wearing it for about 4 - 5 months at night only. He most likely will still need braces, but not for nearly as long.

Now, my older daughter did have a palate expander at age 7-1/2. Their orthodontist starts work on them once the front eight adult teeth are in (4 on top and 4 on bottom). She only wore it only at night also (their orthodontist tries to do as much at night as possible). It was great because we could turn it while it was not in her mouth and then put it back in and she had virtually no pain from it. Her teeth were a mess before we started because they were all overlapping. The great part about doing it early was that it made room for her adult teeth WHILE they were growing in so they didn't come in nearly as crooked as they would have. She wore the expander for about 9 months. She is now almost 11 and just went for her impressions to get braces, but the ortho said she'll only need to wear them for about 12-14 months.

 

[JamesMom]

My DS turns 8 this year and y'all scare me with the Ortho talk. I have a tiny mouth crowded with tiny teeth that were crooked (buck teeth & fangs) Parents got me braces for 2 years at age 12. Pulled a couple of adult teeth out and wore those tiny rubber bands to move the fangs into place. Remember those silver things coming out right before high school. My hubby had braces, too. So my kids are destined to have braces. But this process of y-e-a-r-s and multiple therapies seem extreme to me. For one, what in the world does a palate expander do? Doesn't anybody just get braces for a couple of years and move on with their lives?

 

[bartleby1]

My DS turns 8 this year and y'all scare me with the Ortho talk. I have a tiny mouth crowded with tiny teeth that were crooked (buck teeth & fangs) Parents got me braces for 2 years at age 12. Pulled a couple of adult teeth out and wore those tiny rubber bands to move the fangs into place. Remember those silver things coming out right before high school. My hubby had braces, too. So my kids are destined to have braces. But this process of y-e-a-r-s and multiple therapies seem extreme to me. For one, what in the world does a palate expander do? Doesn't anybody just get braces for a couple of years and move on with their lives?

The palate expander makes room in their mouths and takes care of the overcrowding so that hopefully they do not need to pull any adult teeth. Picture the roof of your mouth as an upside down U. The palate expander makes the U wider which makes for a nice wide smile and spreads the teeth out to make room for all of them.

Not all kids need an expander. Some do just braces. It all depends on the problem. Without the expander, my DD probably would have had to get some adult teeth pulled and would have had braces for a longer period of time. Instead, she did the expander, gets to keep all her teeth, and wears the braces for a shorter time.

 

[SDSorority]

My son, 8 1/2, went for a cleaning last week at the dentist. The dentist recommened that we see an orthodontist (which I knew would would have to do in the future). I jsut didn't think so soon, I thougth 8 1/2 is still young. Anyway, she also mentioned the possibility of a palate expander. Anyone have kids that had one? Are they painful? I looked it up on line and they look like they can be painful.

I have an apt for 10/16 with an orthodonist that comes highly recommended by three families.

AAAHhhhhhh yes, the expander. I had one, and as big of a wimp as I am, it wasn't a big deal. Just annoying to always have something in the roof of your mouth!! When it was turned once a day, it didn't HURT- it was more of a pressure thing. Oh and I talked funny for a while until I got used to it. I don't remember what grade I was in when I got it... maybe... 5th?? I was 9 or 10 years old. It wasn't a big deal.

 

[gillenkl]

My daughter just had hers taken out - no it didn't hurt and she didn't have any problems. Whoever is going to be the one turning the key - should go to the appt so you learn how to do it properly. DH went and then couldn't do it - so I had to go back for a lesson. I did buy a Waterpik so I could really clean in her mouth well because food was getting stuck even after brushing. It's easy once you get the hang of it. Now she has a retainer and her teeth are definately better than they were 6 months ago so I can see the process is working. Next on to baby braces.

 

[Aneille]

My daughter got one back in January and had it taken off in August, about 8 months.

I gave my DD some tylenol about 20 minutes before I turned the key. I would do it at night before bed because sometimes she worked herself up about it. After the first week it wasn't a big deal and we turned in the morning and didn't need any tylenol. We turned the key for about 21 days.

She had just turned 8 when she got it. Wasn't a big deal at all and her front top teeth look really good. She had a small cross-bite as well as a narrow palate. She sucks her thumb at night. She doesn't do it that much anymore so hopefully it will not move back. So far everything looks great.

The Orth wants me to have 2 teeth pulled on the bottom and then a space maintainer put in but we are holding off. It is not the cost as this portion is much less than the palate expander but that she would need the appliance in for about 2 years until she gets braces. He figures she will get braces somewhere around 10 or 11.

 

[pintamino]

I had one around that age. Some "turns" were more painful than others. I had friends who had no pain, and friends whose experiences were much more painful than mine. When you think about what a palette expander does... It still freaks me out.

I had extensive orthodontic work. My ortho retired to Arizona and the guy who took over his practice told me they can now do all the correction without palette expanders or extractions (which I had 6 of). I was also told after it was over that only 80% of perfection would be retained and my teeth would never be perfectly aligned... Oh, and the "new" ortho told me I'd have to wear a permanent retainer for the rest of my life! Originally it was 2 years. It's only by the grace of God that I haven't had problems with it since I've been away at college.

Not that I'm not grateful for what my parents paid for the work, but make sure your child is willing to do all the cleaning (8 is young) involved, and make sure you and the ortho are totally open and honest about what it will involve because it could be a lifetime commitment.