braces question

hannahmontanalove
hannahmontanalove Posts: 25
edited September 2024 in Chit-Chat
has anyone ever had that palate expander thing that widens your upper jaw? if so, how big of a gap did it leave in your two front teeth?

Replies

  • kapeluza
    kapeluza Posts: 3,434 Member
    Not too big but it does hurt like hell!!! Horribly painful =/ good luck!
  • ace175
    ace175 Posts: 518 Member
    I had one in 3rd grade! It didn't leave a gap because I had pre-braces at the same time (just braces on my front 4 teeth)
  • Riebop
    Riebop Posts: 275
    Had one when I was in the 7th grade. I don't really remember exactly how big the gap was. Smaller than the diameter of a normal sized straw. However, I think it depends on how much wider they're trying to make your mouth.
  • _beachgirl_
    _beachgirl_ Posts: 3,865 Member
    A palate expander is used to widen the upper jaw for example when someone has an underbite. It's intention is to create more space for your teeth to then be straightened with braces. So you shouldn't have a space between your two front teeth, if you do, it should only be temporary.
  • JennsLosing
    JennsLosing Posts: 1,026
    i never had a space between my teeth
  • deadstarsunburn
    deadstarsunburn Posts: 1,337 Member
    I got a gab from braces =p it was just extra space after them being straightened, butt I had weird bars on the sides of my mouth that fixed my overbite. It's not too bad though. I have 3 friends that have had what you're getting and none of them got gaps =]
  • songbird1973
    songbird1973 Posts: 90
    I'm a orthodontic assistant for 20 plus years and we say the bigger the gap the better, but good news is it closes almost as fast as it opens once you stop turning the appliance. Hope this helps!
  • MichelleWagner50
    MichelleWagner50 Posts: 240 Member
    My 8yr old son just got his out after a year. He does have a gap but will be getting braces once all his baby teeth fall out. His gap is about the size of 2 juice box straws. Not as big as a normal straw. His jaw was very small and his teeth were extremely crowded!
    He didn't have too much pain with the turning of the key, but we only had to turn it 2x per week. He had more pain with getting it in and the maintanence appts.
    Good luck!!
  • hannahmontanalove
    hannahmontanalove Posts: 25
    I'm a orthodontic assistant for 20 plus years and we say the bigger the gap the better, but good news is it closes almost as fast as it opens once you stop turning the appliance. Hope this helps!

    is that without having braces on at the same time you have the expander in?
  • shootoutx3
    shootoutx3 Posts: 24
    I had that like 10 years ago..I had a gap to start with..and it didn't get much wider..maybe a little but not enough to really notice..and it was closed within a year
  • songbird1973
    songbird1973 Posts: 90
    Yes that's without braces on!
  • hannahmontanalove
    hannahmontanalove Posts: 25
    thanks, thats good to hear!
This discussion has been closed.

Categories