Author |
Message |
Karuuna
Member
08-31-2000
| Wednesday, April 14, 2004 - 4:54 pm
My 9 year old just got braces and a jaw expander yesterday. The braces are tolerable. The jaw expander is one of the most barbarically cruel devices I've seen in this day and age. It goes across his upper palate, it's half as large as his poor little mouth, and it's job is to make his upper jaw larger so there's room for the teeth that have yet to come in. Every night I get to take a little torture tool and crank the thing wider, a process which makes my little one yelp and bawl, and he's just miserable. Someone please tell me this is worth it! Or that it will get better for both of us. I just can't remember a single one of my peers who had a jaw expander growing up....
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Texannie
Member
07-16-2001
| Wednesday, April 14, 2004 - 4:57 pm
Ouch! Bless both your hearts! you know, it's funny. I don't remember my friends having braces this early either.
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Mocha
Member
08-12-2001
| Wednesday, April 14, 2004 - 4:59 pm
I haven't heard of getting them this early either especially when all of their teeth haven't come in. I remember way back when my doctor saying I couldn't get them early because I didn't have all of my teeth yet. Guess times have changed.
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Zachsmom
Member
07-13-2000
| Wednesday, April 14, 2004 - 5:03 pm
Poor little guy! How long do you have to use the jaw expander?
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Landi
Member
07-29-2002
| Wednesday, April 14, 2004 - 5:08 pm
TOTALLY WORTH IT! my holly went through it at the age of 6. i hated that i had to endure this torture. this month she gets her Phase 2 braces off. i have a gorgeous child with a gorgeous mouth. because her upper palate was so much smaller than her lower it was c0ckeying her bite so that she scrunched up the top teeth to meet the bottom teeth. if we had not done this, she would have had more problems than you can imagine. let me tell you, i wanted to kill the orthodontist because i had to turn that little key. but it MOVES FAST! you probably won't be doing it more than a month or so. they have learned that it is better to do things in 2 phases. one when they are young and the permanent teeth are just coming in, and 2 right after the last molars are in. this has changed since our day and age. it's much less intrusive and they can use braces that are behind the teeth, or glued on front, or those invisilign ones.
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Texannie
Member
07-16-2001
| Wednesday, April 14, 2004 - 5:09 pm
oops..forgot to add...but so many of my kids' classmate have started braces early. Heck, some of my ds' friends are done with braces now at 14! I thought they had to finish growing too.
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Landi
Member
07-29-2002
| Wednesday, April 14, 2004 - 5:12 pm
i needed to add that holly will have hers removed 7 days before her 14th birthday.
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Texannie
Member
07-16-2001
| Wednesday, April 14, 2004 - 5:14 pm
SEE!!!! Landi proved my point! LOL
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Karuuna
Member
08-31-2000
| Wednesday, April 14, 2004 - 5:22 pm
They are planning to do it in two phases. Four weeks of turning that damn key, then he gets head gear that he has to wear 12-14 hours a day. Then he gets a year off, then another year or two of braces (around age 12), tho that is the cosmetic fix. This first one is because he can't get his front teeth (top and bottom) to meet, and because there is no room in his upper jaw for the molars. Landi, did she have to wear the jaw expander for a full year? I've seen some sites that say that part is just for 3-6 months. Honestly, I care less about the cosmetic issue, but geez, there has to be a less tortorous way. You'd think modern science would be, well, more modern! Sigh, he just looks and feels so awful.
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Maris
Member
03-28-2002
| Wednesday, April 14, 2004 - 5:27 pm
I think it depends on the jaws development. My son is going to need braces but he still isnt ready for them yet. In his case they are waiting to see how his jaw develops and they they want to look at various options including implants. I dont like the idea of making a kid go through getting implants. He has a wierd mouth, on his lower jaw two teeth never developed right in front of his mouth, so they are either going to use braces and push the teeth forward or put in two implants.
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Halfunit
Member
09-02-2001
| Wednesday, April 14, 2004 - 5:28 pm
Kar, if there is no room now for the molars there is a good chance they will become impacted when they try and come in and that is a horrible experience. It's sad that you are the one who has to turn the key. That has to be awful for you, but it sounds like it will be better in the long run. I had to wear braces for 17 months in 11th grade, but nothing like all of the gear you and Landi have described.
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Tess
Member
04-13-2001
| Wednesday, April 14, 2004 - 5:54 pm
Kar, Sarah has already been to the orthodontist and will go back in July to figure out what we do first and when. She's lost seven baby teeth so far, and quite honestly, there is room for maybe three permanent teeth to take their place. We all know that seven teeth are going to try and crowd in those spots. It's going to be miserable, but if it saves her problems when she gets older, I'll do anything I have to do to help her. Conversely, my lower jaw is not big enough for all of my teeth. The orthodontist wanted to pull 4 teeth when I was young and my mother wouldn't let him. I had braces for 4 years and a retainer for 3. My lower teeth are so crooked even now that I will be having one pulled most likely this summer and then will have braces again at age 50. And not because I don't like how how I look. Because it's a health issue. {{{Kar & Kidlet}}}
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Lucy
Member
10-08-2002
| Wednesday, April 14, 2004 - 6:17 pm
Kar, I feel for you and your son right now. My son got his torture expander when he was 7 1/2. He only needed it for 4-6 months. When he first got it, it was very painful and awkward, but it got better fairly quickly. Keep lots of Tylenol on hand for the first few weeks. My son wore phase 1 braces for about 2 years, and phase 2 braces for 10 months. He was done with braces, except for a retainer, by his 12th birthday. He actually dealt with the pain and hassle of braces much better when he was younger. For me, I had more control over his hygiene when he was younger, too. $5000 later, he has a beautiful smile!
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Justavice
Member
07-12-2003
| Wednesday, April 14, 2004 - 7:14 pm
Your kids won't want to hear this, but wearing their retainers after getting their braces off is the most important part. My sister and I had braces at the same time and got them off at the same time. She wore her retainers on and off for about a year. 14 years later, I still wear mine. (A second set anyhow). My sister's teeth took about five years to go back the way they were before she had braces. She is so upset with her self for going through all the pain and inconvenience and not having the smile to show for it anymore. But I am so glad I went through that and I still get compliments on my teeth.
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Kaili
Member
08-31-2000
| Wednesday, April 14, 2004 - 7:28 pm
I had the jaw widener thing...the one where you have to go in and they crank it a little bit at a time. No head gear for me though. It doesn't hurt at all...the stretching part anyway. It gets in the way of your tongue and is more annoying than anything else. It was worth it though- my mouth was a mess before braces. I had fangs pretty much. I got mine around 6th grade.
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Karuuna
Member
08-31-2000
| Wednesday, April 14, 2004 - 7:56 pm
The cranking of the key is hurting Kyle quite a bit right now, as it pulls apart the palate (ew!). Apparently it's supposed to not hurt as much after a few days of this. In addition, it hurts to talk, it hurts him to eat, and he's drooling all over the place. Again all of these are supposed to get better in a few days. The poor kid is starving, but almost everything hurts to eat. I managed to get some chicken noodle soup in him. And yeah, Tess, it is miserable. At least the first few days are sure proving to be miserable. All I can do is hope that it does get more tolerable. Question for those of you with experience: he loves raspberries and strawberries. They are not on any forbidden foods lists, but are those little bitty seeds a problem?
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Lucy
Member
10-08-2002
| Wednesday, April 14, 2004 - 8:02 pm
Kar, Do you have a WaterPik? That's what the dentist recommended for ds. I've never heard anything about raspberries and strawberries being forbidden because of the seeds. A WaterPik would blast the seeds out anyway!! Sorry that Kyle is having a rough time.
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Karuuna
Member
08-31-2000
| Wednesday, April 14, 2004 - 8:07 pm
Thanks, Lucy. We do have a portable water pik, altho his mouth is so sore right now it hurts too much to use it. Maybe in a few days.
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Lucy
Member
10-08-2002
| Wednesday, April 14, 2004 - 8:11 pm
Just checked with ds to find out what he remembered about his expander...he said it hurt, but it didn't last that long. Yeah, I'd wait on the WaterPik until he feels better. Is he taking Tylenol? (((((Kyle))))) Maybe some kind of oral rinse like Peroxyl would help too.
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Kady
Member
07-30-2000
| Wednesday, April 14, 2004 - 8:17 pm
My son had the mouth widener at age 9 too. He never complained too much. If it hurt, he never showed it. It was on about 6 months. He had the round one of braces for a year. No head gear but had a clear plastic retainer he had to wear at bedtime for a year. He hated that thing more than the braces. He is now on round two with about 6 months to go. I have always heard it is much easier on them if you get started early. It is easier to shape a growing mouth than to take a full grown mouth and have to reshape it. I hope Kyle gets to feeling better soon. At least he is getting alot of special attention from Mommy. And if he knows how to work it, he could end up with a special present for being such a brave boy. 
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Karuuna
Member
08-31-2000
| Wednesday, April 14, 2004 - 8:18 pm
He's taking liquid advil, cause he can't even chew the chewable motrin at the moment. I did get him to eat some jello, and some chocolate pudding. I tried some mashed potatoes, but they really gummed up in the expander and he kept gagging. I've never heard of Peroxyl. What is it?
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Karuuna
Member
08-31-2000
| Wednesday, April 14, 2004 - 8:20 pm
OH heck, Kady, I even offered to take him to KMart and buy him a video game to get his mind off it, but he wasnt interested! Now you know how really awful he feels! 
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Scootersmom
Member
08-10-2002
| Wednesday, April 14, 2004 - 8:24 pm
{{{Kyle & Kar}}} Peroxyl is a dental rinse, got the following description from Colgate site: "Colgate Peroxyl is a patented oral debriding agent/oral wound cleanser for temporary use to cleanse canker sores and minor wounds or minor gum inflammation resulting from minor dental procedures, dentures, orthodontic appliances, accidental injury or other irritations of the mouth and gums. Peroxyl Antiseptic Dental Rinse also can be used for mouth burns, cheek bites and toothbrush abrasions. The oxygenating action removes debris allowing natural healing to occur. Colgate Peroxyl contains hydrogen peroxide, a proven safe and effective oral wound cleanser. When Peroxyl comes into contact with mouth tissue, oxygen is released in a pleasant, mild bubbling action. This provides mechanical cleansing which flushes out mouth debris, while the oxygenating effect of Peroxyl helps control the spread of susceptible organisms. Peroxyl has a great tasting mint flavor."
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Tess
Member
04-13-2001
| Wednesday, April 14, 2004 - 8:40 pm
Kar, you might try something like Carnation instant breakfast....basically chocolate milk loaded with vitamins. I lived on that for a month after my wisdom teeth surgery. (long story) My dentist also says that ibuprofen or motrin is far superior to tylenol for mouth pain. Sarah can swallow the tiny kid sized caplets. Do you think Kyle would be able to do that? In any case, your liquid advil is a good choice.
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Landi
Member
07-29-2002
| Wednesday, April 14, 2004 - 9:11 pm
sorry, but i've been gone for a parent/kid meeting for holly's marine institute trip coming up in a couple of weeks. holly wore her palate spreader (for the upper palate) for about 2 months. Yes, it hurts for the first few days, and it hurts them when they put new wires in for adjustments for a couple of days at the most. we use liquid tylenol or advil. we keep on hand tomato or chicken and rice soups. also orajel helps. waterpiks are the best way to keep the braces clean. we've never had a problem with berries thanks to the waterpik. hope this helps.
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