At his last dentist appointment, my son’s dentist said it was time to take my little thumb sucker to the orthodontist. He was going to need an expander. I had a vague idea of what this meant but definitely wanted more information.
So I came home, researched some local orthodontists (friends’ recommendations are definitely valuable here), made our initial consultation appointment, and Googled what to expect. In the hopes that maybe my experience can help someone else, I thought I’d share. Note that I’m definitely not a dental professional! I’m just a mom hoping to ease any fears you might have and answer some questions.
Initial Consultation
We found a really kid-friendly orthodontist, which I’m guessing many of them are, but this was a big plus. My son is only 7 years old and immediately felt at ease when we walked through the door. Your dentist and friends who have kids with braces can probably help you find a great practice.
The initial consultation for us was FREE (seriously, not a penny) and included a panoramic x-ray of the mouth, a bunch of photos of his smile, and a chat with the orthodontist about what his game plan would be for my son. This included the breakdown of costs and payment plan options. So I left that day knowing exactly what to expect in the coming months both for my child and my bank account. 😉
My orthodontist told us that they like to see kids for the first time between ages 7-9 for an initial consult and to get that big x-ray. That helps them know if there are missing teeth, extra teeth, etc. and gives them a baseline. Even though her dentist didn’t refer my daughter to the orthodontist for any treatment, I did take her in for a consult because, hey, it was free and I’d like to know if he sees anything the dentist doesn’t. And she is in good shape, doesn’t need anything and can come back in one year for a re-check. Three cheers for free consultations!
My son, having zero fears at the orthodontist!
Pre-Expander Appointments
When we left the initial consult appointment, we had 4 more appointments scheduled. I can’t say if this is the procedure for all orthodontists, but this is how ours went and each of these appointments was spaced one week apart:
Appointment 1: Spacers were inserted. These are little rubber bands they wedge between the back molars to create a space for the bands to go which will eventually hold the expander in place. They’ll ask your child to refrain from eating anything too chewy or sticky (think Laffy Taffy, caramel, Starburst, etc) that might pull those bands out.
Appointment 2: Spacers come out. Metal bands are fitted around the molars to get just the right size for your child’s mouth. This is also when they took the impression of his mouth, which means he had to ‘bite’ into a hunk of Silly Putty-like stuff to create a mold of the shape of his mouth. Kinda gross and gaggy for him, but it wasn’t that big of a deal. We left that day with nothing in his mouth.
Appointment 3: The spacers go back in, same as week 1. Back to the no-sticky-food-diet, too!
Appointment 4: This is when the expander goes in. This is a custom made appliance (that’s what the mold taken at appointment 2 was used for) so it should fit just perfectly. And it did! They’ll test it first to make sure it fits, then glue it in place. This is also when they’ll show Mom and/or Dad how to turn the ‘key’ to actually use the expander to widen the palate. The no-sticky-food-diet continues and they’ll give you a sheet of safe foods and foods to avoid.
After The Expander Is In
I’m not going to lie here. The first few days were rough for us. Thankfully my son didn’t have ANY pain or discomfort which was a blessing. But he really had trouble figuring out how to eat anything without getting it stuck in his expander…which make him sick. I was pretty sure he was going to live on pudding and ice cream for the next 6 months.
Here are my top 3 tips for being prepared BEFORE you come home with the expander in:
- Have some children’s pain reliever on hand. Many kids do experience pressure or discomfort the first few days.
- Stock up on soft foods. The ‘weird’ feeling in the mouth is really mitigated by ice cream 3x a day. Just sayin.’ Pudding, soup, Jell-O, mashed potatoes, and yogurt all worked well for us.
- Get a Waterpik. Our main issue getting our son to eat was that he was totally grossed out by food getting stuck in his expander. I finally put my foot down and made him finish whatever he was eating, and THEN we cleaned out the expander with the Waterpik (which is actually pretty fun!) as opposed to cleaning it after every bite.
We had some drooling going on the first few days until he got used to having his expander in his mouth. Just encourage them to slurp it up once in a while (I know, this whole thing can be kind of gross for about a week).
Turning the Key
This is what the key looks like, and they will show you at the office how to turn it and tell you how often. For us, I had to turn it once per day for 14 days, then go back for a check to make sure I was doing it well. Then we got prescribed 14 more turns. When I first heard the word ‘key’ this is definitely not what I pictured. It will all make sense when they show you in the office. You basically put this in a little hole in the middle of the expander, push down, and you’re done. It’s very easy, trust me.
My son will wear this appliance in his mouth for about 6 months, but all of the turning gets done in the first month. The rest of the time is meant to hold everything in place until his other teeth come in. Then….braces.
How We’re Doing Now
My guy has had his expander in for almost a month now and he’s doing great! Really the first 5 days or so were the most challenging for us with getting him to try to eat, but he’s completely figured that out and rarely uses the Waterpik at all anymore. He can eat without getting anything stuck in his expander. Hallelujah!
Hope you have found some helpful info here! If you hit a rough patch, which we did early on, hang in there. Kids do get used to this and pretty soon you’ll be hearing how weird their mouths feel when they get the expander removed! Good luck!
Another Update
Two years later, this post is getting decent traffic and a lot of comments. I’m so glad it’s been helpful for those of you that are in this palatal expander boat. I promise, it gets better.
I probably should have come back earlier with an update, but I’ll tell you where we’re at now. My son wore his expander for maybe 6 months, and before it came out he got braces on his four front teeth to pull them down and into alignment. They didn’t stay on very long before they came out and he got a retainer.
Two years later, he’s still wearing the retainer just to sleep in, and he goes to the orthodontist every 3 months for a check up. He has two more baby teeth to lose (at age 10, they tell me that is a little ahead of schedule), and sometime in the next year he’ll get a full mouth of braces which will likely need to be worn for two years.
Scroll up and look at that before pic. Can you believe the difference in his smile?! Orthodontists are magic. Hang in there, parents. It is SO worth it!
Morgan says
This post gives some really good information! It can certainly be scary for a little one to take so many trips to the dentists and orthodontist, so it’s great that you guys found one that is so kid friendly and that you’re comfortable with! Nice read and resource! Thank you so much for sharing!
Lindsay Frank says
Thanks Morgan! Everything is going well and we just finished our last ‘crank’ of the key last night!
Connie says
Thank you so much for your post and description of your experience. We’re starting our 6 1/2 year old’s journey with this next week. I really appreciated your account of how your son did with all of this! Bless you!
Lindsay Frank says
I’m so glad you found my post and it was encouraging! My son is getting his expander out at the end of this month and he did great with it! Hope all goes smoothly for you. The first few days are an adjustment period but after that it should be smooth sailing. Good luck Connie!
Emily says
Thank you for sharing. My 7 year old just got one in and also one on the lower than can be taken out while eating. Anyone have advice on the lower?
Lindsay Frank says
Oh interesting Emily! My son only has the upper and I didn’t even think about there being a lower. That’s nice that it comes out while eating. That was really our biggest challenge – food getting stuck in there. I’d be prepared for some drooling until they get accustomed to it, and if there’s pressure you may want to consider a pain reliever. My son was pretty distressed about it for just a few days as he got used to it, and it’s never been a problem since. They really do adjust (even when you’re thinking they never will!). Good luck with it!
Amanda says
My 8 year old got his expander in today. He will not swallow. He sat at lunch and cried and drooled but would not eat or drink. I call his Orthodontist and they said it would get better but geez, he has to eat and drink. Seriously considering having the thing taken out if he keeps refusing nourishment. Are there alternatives to this device that you know of?
Lindsay Frank says
Oh Amanda! I’m so sorry your little guy is having so much trouble. I promise you, it will get easier. My son was the same way on day 1. He was drooling all over the place and wouldn’t eat anything but ice cream. I let him get away with the ice cream thing for a couple of days but pretty quickly he figured out how to eat and not get things stuck in his expander. My son got his taken out just about a month ago and the difference in his smile is amazing. Try to be patient. Give him milkshakes or whatever he’ll tolerate for a couple of days. I felt the same way, like this is NOT going to work for us. He’s going to starve, etc. But it didwork, and he actually adjusted pretty fast. Hang in there! Keep me posted!
Amy says
I have a 13yr old that got expanders yesterday march 29th and is having a hard time with it saying it hurts but wants to eat im not sure what to make him happy and to take his mined off it i tryed applesauce he ate it but don’t cate for it .
Lindsay Frank says
Amy, I’m sorry he’s uncomfortable. I think that’s pretty common for the first week or so. My orthodontist said a little Tylenol or Motrin was fine to treat the pain. Ask yours to see what they say about that. Think about other soft foods he might like. My son was living on ice cream for a couple of days. Try pudding, mashed potatoes, soup, jello. Not the healthiest diet but it’s only temporary until they get used to it. Good luck! The first few days were a bit rough for us too but I promise they do adjust. Hang in there!
Lynn says
Thanks for sharing Lindsay! My son just got his expander, we’re on night 2 of the key turning. It’s a great tip about the waterpik, I’ve added that to my list of things to get this weekend. There’s a lot of slurping going on but nice to know he should adjust soon. Unfortunately, I planned the last appointment to the ortho right before his b-day party. Luckily cake and ice cream are mushy. 🙂
Thanks again!
Lindsay Frank says
I’m so glad you found my post and it was helpful! My son’s slurping didn’t last too long. He was fully adjusted within a week. And yes, cake and ice cream are perfect expander foods! My little guy LIVED on ice cream for a few days! Good luck with it Lynn, and happy birthday to your son!
Alice says
Thank you for sharing this. It was very helpful.
Lindsay Frank says
You’re welcome! So glad you found it helpful!
Najaf says
My DD got her expander put in today, she is doing well so far but food getting stuck is a major problem for her.
Your article reassured me that everything happeing with her experience is normal. Thanks for sharing.
Lindsay Frank says
I’m so glad it was helpful! Hang in there. It will get better for her soon!
Beth says
Thank you so much for sharing this! Definitely the most helpful blog post I’ve read on the subject. My 8 year old son got his expander about three weeks ago, and his experience was *nearly* the same as your son’s (we had to do two key turns a day, for 12 days). I read – and re-read – your post before the first appointment, and kept it bookmarked throughout. Such a comfort for me and my little (as I was prepared mentally and pantry-wise for the experience). It really wasn’t as awful as we thought it would be (Motrin the first couple of days, then about half way through for a day or two). The only residual issue is that he’s still struggling with is some word pronunciations, but it’s been just short of a month, so we’re not giving up hope. Overall a successful method for getting that extra space in his upper jaw and quickly relieving the crowding (and, yes, eventually on to braces) Good luck to you and thank you again! (And I would love to hear the follow-up regarding your child’s orthodontia!)
Lindsay Frank says
Thank you so much for your kind words, Beth! I’m so glad you found my post helpful. I would think your son’s speech issue would resolve soon as he gets accustomed to having the expander in his mouth. Eventually it will come out and he’ll wear a retainer, and that actually caused my son more pronunciation issues than the expander. Of course, the retainer goes in and out so it wasn’t a big deal.
We are doing great now! He did get braces, just on the front 6 teeth to pull them down and into place, and once they were lined up the braces came off and he got a retainer to wear full time for a few months, and now he just sleeps in it. My son is 9 now, so we are waiting for more baby teeth to fall out before the orthodontist decides if he needs a full mouth of braces. I take him back about every 2-3 months for a check. Here’s a good pic of his current smile! You can see we are waiting on some teeth to come in, but the front teeth are straight and he has a beautiful smile – huge improvement from the picture near the top of this post! https://www.instagram.com/p/BlzD1cdn-GC/
Good luck to you and your son!
Kim Thompson says
Thank you so much for this post. My son just got his expander in today and we tried our first meal of spaghettios and it didn’t go well. I’m going to share this post with him so he knows that we is going through is normal and survivable! Thank you again!
Lindsay Frank says
Hi Kim! So glad you found this post helpful. I remember those days! My son swore he would just starve! ha! Try the Waterpik and some soft foods like ice cream for the first couple of days. I promise, it gets better! Good luck to you and your son!