My 8 year old needs a palate expander

zeifreilich

Wed, May 18 2016, 11:36 am

My 8 year old was at the dentist yesterday for an exam. After looking at the x-rays, the dentist said that her mouth is overcrowded. She will be needing braces and he would like to get her started with Phase I.
He told me to book an appointment with the orthodontist to have a palate expander inserted.
Does anybody have any experience with this?

sky

Wed, May 18 2016, 2:26 pm

Just started the process this week with an 8 year old, probably should've started a year ago.
Its expensive...

I'm actually hoping it will help my son with a few issues:
- teeth crowding
- tongue issues when speaking - speech therapist says that his speech cannot get much better without it. Hopefully this will also help with his snoring and other related issues.

I'm still at the begging but my understanding is from the orthodontist I'm using:
First appointment - consultation, pictures, X-rays and impression
Second appointment - within the week - insert spacers and take mold - pay first part of down payment.
2 weeks later: new spacers
1 - 2 days later: install device - second part of down payment
Every week: appointment to adjust and check device until pallet is expanded.
Once a month appts to check on it after pallet is fully expanded.
Over the next 6 months the remainder of the payments are paid in installments.

zeifreilich

Wed, May 18 2016, 2:35 pm

Thanks for replying. I'm happy to hear that there's someone else out there with one. I asked around and nobody heard about it.

So if the device wasn't installed yet, you don't have any experience with the discomfort of it.
My daughter is overly sensitive and I can't think how she will take to a foreign object in her mouth, plus the adjustments.

sky

Wed, May 18 2016, 2:39 pm

My son is a good sport so I think he will be easy going about the whole thing.
So far did both of the first impressions. Neither are comfortable but he just shrugged it off. the first day of the spacers he felt them but hasn't said anything since.
I've heard it hurts, my dentist claims it doesn't hurt like it used to, just some tingling in the nose after tightening. I don't know what that means. Hopefully it will be nothing.

amother

Honeydew

Wed, May 18 2016, 2:51 pm

A couple of my kids had expanders due to overcrowding. It was a little painful in the begining and yes expensive. I also remember getting annoyed by the noises they would make to try to clear food out of the expander during meal time - eww. Overall it did what it was supposed to do and my kids moved on to the braces stages.

amother

Bisque

Wed, May 18 2016, 2:54 pm

You take the expander out during mealtime according to our orthodontist....poor kid trying to eat with it in!

My son has one - the idea is to prevent expand the palette and prevent overcrowding as the adult teeth come in and having to have more work done later.

My son is a really difficult kid yet strangely this doesn't bother him. Go figure

amother

Indigo

Wed, May 18 2016, 3:04 pm

My daughter has one. The first week, eating was tough, and she had mostly a liquid diet until she used to chewing and swallowing with it in.

Chayalle

Wed, May 18 2016, 3:14 pm

My DD had a palette expander and braces. She got it in 8th grade. Her orthodontist (Dr. Krug in Lakewood) was waiting until all her grown up teeth came in.

The first couple of days were tough. Also, every night we had to pull it a bit so it expanded bit by bit, and that hurt a little, but after a while it wasn't a big deal, she got used to the feel of it.

Once it was completely expanded, she got braces. The expander stayed on for the duration of the braces. What a celebration it was when those came off! B"H she has a nice smile and space for all her teeth now.

My 8 year old will be needing the same B"EH but not yet. I wonder why your orthodontist is doing this so young. My DD has been to the orthodontist for a check-up and he said to come back in a year to re-check. I doubt he will do anything till she's about 12 at least.....

sky

Wed, May 18 2016, 3:35 pm

My dentist and speech therapist really thought my son needed it now at 8. He could have even used it earlier. Both to allow his teeth to grow in and for his speech. Hopefully it will also help with his snoring that may be caused by a tongue thrust issue.

I guess depending on the issue that it is fixing?

Hopefully I'm doing the correct thing by inserting it now. As I understand it braces will not be needed for a few more years.

suremom

Wed, May 18 2016, 3:39 pm

you cannot take it out during meals. its put in with 'cement' when I had one I had dr. appointment around every 4-6 weeks and the expander had a key which I turned every day to expand it slowly. you get used to it pretty fast. once the first expander was stretched to its max I had a second one. (that was all before my braces) I had it from 10-11yrs. then I got my braces dr. removed the expander and put in a thin bar. I still wear my retainers so teeth should stay in place. as per my siblings (it runs in the family) the process is still the same. we all saw big difference in speech bh.

amother

Bisque

Wed, May 18 2016, 3:41 pm

The removable ones are a newer option. OP, I'd look into that - seems much easier on the kid but I guess you have to trust them to leave it in. We luckily have no issue with that

suremom

Wed, May 18 2016, 3:42 pm

sky wrote:

yes to bolded! I used to sleep with an open mouth cuz my tongue did have place...

suremom

Wed, May 18 2016, 3:45 pm

amother wrote:

The removable ones are a newer option. OP, I'd look into that - seems much easier on the kid but I guess you have to trust them to leave it in. We luckily have no issue with that

for my kids (especiall an 8yo) I would still opt for built in one as putting in/out has higher risk of loosing. in school how do they deal with that? also, its an expensive device so if they loose it... thirdly, if they do loose it, it can take a while to get new one and teeth can shift back.

Unique

Wed, May 18 2016, 3:46 pm

I'm dealing with this now for my 8 yo also. I was just wondering if anyone had to first pull some baby teeth before putting the expander in? The orthodontist called me today to cancel the appt to put in the expander because he first wants us to get 4 teeth extracted....anyone had a similar experience?

Orchid

Wed, May 18 2016, 7:03 pm

Our ortho says the latest research does not back up Phase 1 treatments for many patients. Don't know if your son is an exception or if your ortho believes in the efficacy of Phase 1 treatments altogether. Can't hurt to get a second opinion.

amother

Burgundy

Wed, May 18 2016, 9:20 pm

I also use dr. Krug and he put it in when my child was eight. It didn't cost me a penny because dr. Krug takes insurance.

My child was in sick pain the first week it was put in that we almost pulled it out. Child threw up for three days. Still bothers child and complains when eating but it's still in the mouth. Honestly it was free By me and I didn't realize what a big procedure it was so I didn't even do research on it until it was in and child was complaining and I was like what did I just do.

ValleyMom

Wed, May 18 2016, 9:22 pm

My 2o year old daughter had a tremendous underbite and needed an expander for a long time. She was miserable and talks about her trials and tribulations with braces. I think she may have worn orthodontia for EIGHT YEARS