It's only been three days since my last ramble so I won't go on too long.
My Palate expander is doing its job as far as I can see. I am forming gaps between my molars on both sides now and my jaw is sore a lot. Of course, I am still researching online, not everything is pleasant as non surgical Adult Palate Expansion is a touchy subject. Some say its possible, others say it won't work without surgery as the patients sutures are already fused together.
Anyway, I am not having surgery, it wasn't even brought up, and I'm glad for that because I hate going under.
My research has led me to believe that this may be why I am not forming a gap between my two front teeth, but between my molars, because my palate has not been 'snipped' in surgery.
There is plenty of information on the debate over adult palate expansion, so I won't go getting into that.
One of my expander 'arms' (the same one as before) is starting to come off my tooth again, probably due to more movement in my jaw. It's annoying.
Hopefully when I go back to the orthodontist in a few weeks, he will either take the arms off or bend it back in place. Most likely the latter, most of my notable expansion has been in the back teeth, I would like some more in the front.
I have had a dull head ache yesterday and today, more so in my upper jaw and cheek bones. I really really can't wait to have the expander out. My treatment plan states 4-6 months, we are nearly two months in and I am still expanding so it is looking more like 6 months at the moment. Fingers crossed that doesn't go up!!!! It's just so annoying, uncomfortable and ugly. I look forward to being able to run my tongue along the roof of my mouth again.
'Til next time.
Tuesday, 29 January 2013
Sunday, 27 January 2013
Day 51
Today is day 51....
I have to say that I am pretty happy with the progress this far, my teeth are definitely moving, quite rapidly since my last visit and commencing turns again only 4 days ago.
The upper teeth on the right side of my mouth actually sit on top of my bottom teeth a lot better, they are matching the left side now and looks like my cross bite is going to be a thing of the past! :)
Although I have constant pressure again, I am feeling good. But The turns have become quite intense, I turn once everyday, right after brushing and before sleep. I chose this time so that I am not trying to talk and eat for a few hours afterward, giving my teeth the chance to move while I sleep without pain - or at least that's my theory.
I usually lay down in bed ready for sleep so I don't have to get up ( if i need to get up, i wouldn't for a good twenty minutes after turning), and use a mirror to turn my spanner. I put the spanner onto my bar so it is closest to my upper teeth and pull down as far as it will go (to my bottom jaw) to complete a full turn. I can feel the pushing whilst turning so expansion is immediate from the device, the palate and teeth just need to catch up. It's a slight pain, I won't lie.. It's unpleasant to move bones which have been in place for 15+ years but it could be better explained as pressure which feels like pain... If that makes any sense at all....
Today my teeth are quite sore, they aren't loose but feel unstable in my mouth and I am finding eating things like biscuits and cheese to be unpleasant. I also wanted to list the foods I have found to be too difficult to eat with my expander in (see below) the longer I have it on, the more foods I try and the more I am disappointed. Everything will get stuck, bread, cheese, cereal and even yoghurt will lodge above the expander and under the palate. The only thing to remove it is to drink water... Elch.
Eating is always an expedition now... The only way I feel as though my mouth is clean afterward is when I have used my water pik... It's so easy to use.. Fill the water chamber, place in the mouth with the flosser tip at the gumline ready to move over all the crevices between your teeth (and that huge lump of metal attached to everything in mine) turn on switch while leaving your mouth open a small amount (make sure your over the sink at all times) and move the tip around. It feels good against your gums and really does a good job. I spent hours using picks and floss and brushing only to find that I still would not remove everything for my expander without using the waterpik. I read on an old feed somewhere that they were unavailable in Australia.. Well they are here now and they are amazing. I will include a picture of my waterpik at the end of this post. I really don't think I would have been able to keep it so clean without one. Which I have found to be the main cause of annoyance with an expander.
Of course there is plenty of other reasons to dislike this thing...
The pressure has been constant, my face feels the movement and its more like an uncomfortable feeling. I feel pressure in my cheekbones, nose and jaw, although I am yet to get a headache which is really amazing for me... I used to suffer with chronic migraines which I had to manage with prescription drugs and pain killers. I have been prescribed panadene forte, mersyndol forte and imigran for treating them and various preventative pills in the past. I had to stop taking them due to developing stomach ulcer symptoms which they (and I) believed was from frequent NSAID use to treat my migraines.
Any who, no headaches is great, no migraines is excellent!
Some peoples Facial features may change...I don't find this to be a negative side effect but some people may. I have already had many people note the changes in my cheekbones... I actually have some now. :) My face has filled out a lot and i think it looks better than before, little changes but big changes to me!!! I always had a small face, I look quite different to my two sisters. I now know its because their jaws and facial structure developed properly, mine didn't.
I dislike that even after 4-6 months with my expander on, I will still be having four teeth removed before being braced. I'm not scared of extraction, at all. I know it's necessary for my treatment, I still don't like the idea of losing four more teeth when I have just gained so much space, but it still won't be enough for them all!!!
My bite is always feeling 'off' and constantly changes. I haven't been able to rip something open with my teeth since about day 14, although I frequently still try. My bite doesn't meet at the front, which makes eating harder as I cannot bite off a mouthful easily, most foods need to be cut and I don't always have a knife and fork!
Here is what I have thought of so far in relation to eating...
The 'Brace Watchers Diet' is generally what you should follow with the expander.
Do not even try eating - popcorn, the kernels will lodge in the expander, above the bar and will need to be removed.. Not nice. Chewy foods, lollies, toffees or candy will pull at the arms and brackets moving bits and maybe even dislodge it.. Just don't even try it, they're too expensive to mess with. Hard foods are difficult to chew because the teeth are moving and it causes pain.
Corn chips, rice cakes and nuts lodge in the expander and chewing ice is capable of breaking it.
Foods you shouldn't have - sugary foods, the sugar can hide in little crevices against the expander and teeth and cause cavities and decay. Soft drink also does the same using a straw helps but if you don't drink it at all you won't ever have a problem.
Difficult foods - apple and carrot, hard fruits and vegetables can be difficult to chew. Rice and mince meat meals, both the rice and mince lodge in all the little places, places you aren't going to reach without a waterpik. Most meats also lodge in the expander and can wrap around the bar. I have had the unpleasant sensation of swallowing food which is stuck on the bar, so I have only half swallowed it and choked. So gross. The only advice I can give with meat is to cut it very small and take tiny bites. Or become vegetarian... But then raw hard fruit and veg are also a difficult food..... Oh well. Bread is soft but gets in all the small spaces which are impossible to reach and lodges above the bar. Chips, biscuits and jatz also do the same.
Easy foods - they'll still get stuck, but you should be able to get it out for now, without a pik. Most soft foods, pasta meals, soups, puréed meals and desserts. Noodles can be eaten but should be cut first. Yoghurt, banana, strawberries and most soft fruits. Cooked vegetables are also quite easy.
I will add to the food list as I go, I am still learning what I can and can't eat myself!
I have to say that I am pretty happy with the progress this far, my teeth are definitely moving, quite rapidly since my last visit and commencing turns again only 4 days ago.
The upper teeth on the right side of my mouth actually sit on top of my bottom teeth a lot better, they are matching the left side now and looks like my cross bite is going to be a thing of the past! :)
Although I have constant pressure again, I am feeling good. But The turns have become quite intense, I turn once everyday, right after brushing and before sleep. I chose this time so that I am not trying to talk and eat for a few hours afterward, giving my teeth the chance to move while I sleep without pain - or at least that's my theory.
I usually lay down in bed ready for sleep so I don't have to get up ( if i need to get up, i wouldn't for a good twenty minutes after turning), and use a mirror to turn my spanner. I put the spanner onto my bar so it is closest to my upper teeth and pull down as far as it will go (to my bottom jaw) to complete a full turn. I can feel the pushing whilst turning so expansion is immediate from the device, the palate and teeth just need to catch up. It's a slight pain, I won't lie.. It's unpleasant to move bones which have been in place for 15+ years but it could be better explained as pressure which feels like pain... If that makes any sense at all....
Today my teeth are quite sore, they aren't loose but feel unstable in my mouth and I am finding eating things like biscuits and cheese to be unpleasant. I also wanted to list the foods I have found to be too difficult to eat with my expander in (see below) the longer I have it on, the more foods I try and the more I am disappointed. Everything will get stuck, bread, cheese, cereal and even yoghurt will lodge above the expander and under the palate. The only thing to remove it is to drink water... Elch.
Eating is always an expedition now... The only way I feel as though my mouth is clean afterward is when I have used my water pik... It's so easy to use.. Fill the water chamber, place in the mouth with the flosser tip at the gumline ready to move over all the crevices between your teeth (and that huge lump of metal attached to everything in mine) turn on switch while leaving your mouth open a small amount (make sure your over the sink at all times) and move the tip around. It feels good against your gums and really does a good job. I spent hours using picks and floss and brushing only to find that I still would not remove everything for my expander without using the waterpik. I read on an old feed somewhere that they were unavailable in Australia.. Well they are here now and they are amazing. I will include a picture of my waterpik at the end of this post. I really don't think I would have been able to keep it so clean without one. Which I have found to be the main cause of annoyance with an expander.
Of course there is plenty of other reasons to dislike this thing...
The pressure has been constant, my face feels the movement and its more like an uncomfortable feeling. I feel pressure in my cheekbones, nose and jaw, although I am yet to get a headache which is really amazing for me... I used to suffer with chronic migraines which I had to manage with prescription drugs and pain killers. I have been prescribed panadene forte, mersyndol forte and imigran for treating them and various preventative pills in the past. I had to stop taking them due to developing stomach ulcer symptoms which they (and I) believed was from frequent NSAID use to treat my migraines.
Any who, no headaches is great, no migraines is excellent!
Some peoples Facial features may change...I don't find this to be a negative side effect but some people may. I have already had many people note the changes in my cheekbones... I actually have some now. :) My face has filled out a lot and i think it looks better than before, little changes but big changes to me!!! I always had a small face, I look quite different to my two sisters. I now know its because their jaws and facial structure developed properly, mine didn't.
I dislike that even after 4-6 months with my expander on, I will still be having four teeth removed before being braced. I'm not scared of extraction, at all. I know it's necessary for my treatment, I still don't like the idea of losing four more teeth when I have just gained so much space, but it still won't be enough for them all!!!
My bite is always feeling 'off' and constantly changes. I haven't been able to rip something open with my teeth since about day 14, although I frequently still try. My bite doesn't meet at the front, which makes eating harder as I cannot bite off a mouthful easily, most foods need to be cut and I don't always have a knife and fork!
Here is what I have thought of so far in relation to eating...
The 'Brace Watchers Diet' is generally what you should follow with the expander.
Do not even try eating - popcorn, the kernels will lodge in the expander, above the bar and will need to be removed.. Not nice. Chewy foods, lollies, toffees or candy will pull at the arms and brackets moving bits and maybe even dislodge it.. Just don't even try it, they're too expensive to mess with. Hard foods are difficult to chew because the teeth are moving and it causes pain.
Corn chips, rice cakes and nuts lodge in the expander and chewing ice is capable of breaking it.
Foods you shouldn't have - sugary foods, the sugar can hide in little crevices against the expander and teeth and cause cavities and decay. Soft drink also does the same using a straw helps but if you don't drink it at all you won't ever have a problem.
Difficult foods - apple and carrot, hard fruits and vegetables can be difficult to chew. Rice and mince meat meals, both the rice and mince lodge in all the little places, places you aren't going to reach without a waterpik. Most meats also lodge in the expander and can wrap around the bar. I have had the unpleasant sensation of swallowing food which is stuck on the bar, so I have only half swallowed it and choked. So gross. The only advice I can give with meat is to cut it very small and take tiny bites. Or become vegetarian... But then raw hard fruit and veg are also a difficult food..... Oh well. Bread is soft but gets in all the small spaces which are impossible to reach and lodges above the bar. Chips, biscuits and jatz also do the same.
Easy foods - they'll still get stuck, but you should be able to get it out for now, without a pik. Most soft foods, pasta meals, soups, puréed meals and desserts. Noodles can be eaten but should be cut first. Yoghurt, banana, strawberries and most soft fruits. Cooked vegetables are also quite easy.
I will add to the food list as I go, I am still learning what I can and can't eat myself!
Wednesday, 23 January 2013
Pics
A few pics of my device...
Superscrew expander.
Spanner or key used to do turns..
And my actual teeth and mouth with the expander in...
Looking at these, you may understand a bit better as to why I call my palate expander a torture device.
Superscrew expander.
Spanner or key used to do turns..
And my actual teeth and mouth with the expander in...
Looking at these, you may understand a bit better as to why I call my palate expander a torture device.
Tuesday, 22 January 2013
Day 47 of self torture.
Day 47, crap weather and I had a ortho app. I stopped turning my expander 18 days ago and was super excited for this appointment as I seem to have developed an unhealthy obsession with my family's current dental treatment, mostly my own. My daughter's dentist has advised braces in the future, she is currently 8 years old and has lost 9 primary teeth. It's should also be noted that she has had two root canal treatments at the age of 5 on two molars, and recently had two fillings and will need one root canal redone in the near future. In other words, poor kid inherited my crooked teeth with her fathers weak sensitive (easily decayed) teeth. I don't know how else to explain his teeth, he is currently undergoing reconstructive treatment. My daughter does not drink soft drink everyday, she doesn't eat junk all the time, but she constantly suffers with dental problems. So now, under the advise of her super hot dental hygienist, she is given one free day (Sunday) every week to eat whatever she wants, drink soft drink, poppa's and juice. On every other day of the week, she eats foods low in sugar and only drinks water and milk. This, he says with his gorgeous teeth moving - and me staring in all my palatal expansion glory, will not allow sugar and plaque to sit on her teeth for long periods of time, therefore it won't have a chance to decay her teeth. So clever, she can eat whatever on Sunday, makes it better for her because she can eat that roll up without me making her brush straight after.
My ortho thinks it would be a good idea to bring her in after her 9th birthday to take a look at her teeth. I think that the best gift I can ever give her is a beautiful smile and self confidence. She will never be burdened with the cost of fixing her smile in her mid twenties because I will never allow her to suffer as long as I did with crooked teeth!
Any who this blog is supposed to be about my expansion.
I don't know if I mentioned last post about one of the expanders 'arms' (the piece that comes around and holds onto my first premolars) lifting off my tooth... Well it lifted from my tooth, not from eating anything on the naughty list, I am good girl! But from expansion! This is notable because its the only physical evidence that my palate has moved or is moving, other than the gaps between my molars. The ortho bent it back onto my tooth, making it a hundred times more comfortable for me! I had spent the last week biting down on it, getting food stuck there (but that happens everywhere) and feeling its little abusive hook like features rub against my tongue! Anyway, it's fixed now and I'm hoping it stays put for the next three weeks....
So at my app while examining my mouth, (and turning my key or spanner a few times) my orthodontist says that I will have to do some more expansion, he is just working out how much. I'm like :| not happy at all, but it was a possibility right? I knew that going in there... But I thought it was pretty cool that he just works it out there in his head, numbers would be involved for sure as my expansion device is capable of opening 12mm and each turn is 1/4mm. After he did his maths sums he told me that I would need twelve more turns, none today as he has already done it for me, and he will see me in three weeks. My heart dropped... Twelve more turns!!! That's a bit more pressure and adjusting than expected after I had had a 18 day break. Elch.
I left after rebooking and drove home with my cranky pants on.
I am now being grumpy, waiting for my husband to wake so I can complain.....
He has ten minutes left before I wake him myself.
This morning I had an incident that I thought I should document, I don't think I mentioned before but stuttering has become notable for me in recent weeks. This morning while ordering something at the shop, I stuffed up three times before finding a word that my tongue could get around and blushing like an idiot. The store lady says to me 'stuttering isn't fun is it love?' And I look like a fool with red cheeks when I say 'no, I have a plate thing in my mouth at the moment, so annoying' she nods in understanding and says that her son has a plate and braces at the moment and has trouble speaking and with his wires..
How nice it is to know that others sound like morons also!
People understand what your going through with orthodontic work, so many have had it done themselves, and now have beautiful teeth....
Just keeping my eyes on the prize.
Not really notable to my dental treatment but I have read this once or twice before and it has reminded me that no matter the distance we need to travel, the prize is always worth the journey. Or something like that.
My ortho thinks it would be a good idea to bring her in after her 9th birthday to take a look at her teeth. I think that the best gift I can ever give her is a beautiful smile and self confidence. She will never be burdened with the cost of fixing her smile in her mid twenties because I will never allow her to suffer as long as I did with crooked teeth!
Any who this blog is supposed to be about my expansion.
I don't know if I mentioned last post about one of the expanders 'arms' (the piece that comes around and holds onto my first premolars) lifting off my tooth... Well it lifted from my tooth, not from eating anything on the naughty list, I am good girl! But from expansion! This is notable because its the only physical evidence that my palate has moved or is moving, other than the gaps between my molars. The ortho bent it back onto my tooth, making it a hundred times more comfortable for me! I had spent the last week biting down on it, getting food stuck there (but that happens everywhere) and feeling its little abusive hook like features rub against my tongue! Anyway, it's fixed now and I'm hoping it stays put for the next three weeks....
So at my app while examining my mouth, (and turning my key or spanner a few times) my orthodontist says that I will have to do some more expansion, he is just working out how much. I'm like :| not happy at all, but it was a possibility right? I knew that going in there... But I thought it was pretty cool that he just works it out there in his head, numbers would be involved for sure as my expansion device is capable of opening 12mm and each turn is 1/4mm. After he did his maths sums he told me that I would need twelve more turns, none today as he has already done it for me, and he will see me in three weeks. My heart dropped... Twelve more turns!!! That's a bit more pressure and adjusting than expected after I had had a 18 day break. Elch.
I left after rebooking and drove home with my cranky pants on.
I am now being grumpy, waiting for my husband to wake so I can complain.....
He has ten minutes left before I wake him myself.
This morning I had an incident that I thought I should document, I don't think I mentioned before but stuttering has become notable for me in recent weeks. This morning while ordering something at the shop, I stuffed up three times before finding a word that my tongue could get around and blushing like an idiot. The store lady says to me 'stuttering isn't fun is it love?' And I look like a fool with red cheeks when I say 'no, I have a plate thing in my mouth at the moment, so annoying' she nods in understanding and says that her son has a plate and braces at the moment and has trouble speaking and with his wires..
How nice it is to know that others sound like morons also!
People understand what your going through with orthodontic work, so many have had it done themselves, and now have beautiful teeth....
Just keeping my eyes on the prize.
Not really notable to my dental treatment but I have read this once or twice before and it has reminded me that no matter the distance we need to travel, the prize is always worth the journey. Or something like that.
Saturday, 12 January 2013
Day 37.
I haven't bothered to start a blog, because frankly, I have no idea what I am doing. I'm no idiot, its just that Technology became too advanced for me when MySpace came about.
So I wanted to document the process of my upper palatal expansion, as I am a 26 year old female and there seems to be a total lack of information in relation to adult expansion available. I know because I have spent hours looking. Either way, I am trying again now, hoping that this saves somewhere and eventually I become much better at documenting my journey to beautiful teeth.
I decided to see an orthodontist last year, I know that orthodontists prefer to work with children, or teens as its much easier and prevents the mouth and jaw causing problems into adulthood. But unfortunately for me, not only did I have a tiny jaw, I also had infant teeth present right up until the age of 18, when I was pregnant with my daughter. My parents took us to dentists regularly, they all said the same, to wait for braces, see how her jaw grows... No need for orthodontics yet!
So when I became a parent at the young age of 18, the hope of having my pearly whites fixed vanished, everything that I had, had to go to keeping a roof over our heads, keeping us together and happy as a family. I didn't forget my dream to have nice teeth, I just postponed it. So after a few years, studying for a while and getting the nerve, (maybe I got some motivation from the beautiful kids that I get to work with everyday asking me if the tooth fairy visited me after I lost my tooth!) I asked some friends and booked an appointment with an orthodontist.
The initial consult was a tad nerve racking... I had never had an orthodontist in my mouth, and I had heard years of "my orthodontist friend would love to see you " off almost every dentist I had ever seen, so I was worried. I know my teeth are crooked, but without the cash flow around for the last 8 years, it's been impossible, and that's what I told him when he asked me why I had waited so long. He went on to tell me that he understood that side of things but obviously I had been putting up with things like migraine headaches (check), breathing difficulties (check), and difficulties eating (ummm check) for all of my adult life, and orthodontics can assist with all those problems. If I had of known earlier, I am sure I would have found the money somewhere. I have spent so much money on medications for migraines that it would probably have paid the deposit for my treatment right there and then!
After having a look he then said I would definitely need braces during treatment, (yup, accepted that long ago) and if I would like to go ahead we may be able to get them on by Christmas. Of course I was all in, I had waited forever to even see an orthodontist. He then went on to take pictures of my facial structure, my teeth and took an impression (or mould) of my teeth to be sent and made into a replica of my mouth to help understand the process. I had about 20+ X-rays done after that visit and upon my return after two weeks he had my treatment plan ready.
So my treatment plan states that I have a 'Malocclusion consisting of posterior and anterior cross-bite with severe upper and lower crowding'. My take on this is, my mouth is small, my teeth have no room and as a result are terribly crooked and unattractive, not to mention that my bite makes eating, cleaning and talking (keeping dribble from spraying out) difficult, and causes all those other things from earlier.
He goes on to tell me that although I will need braces, there's no room for them yet, my upper jaw is way to small for the teeth, let alone braces, I will need a upper palate expander for 4-6 months.
I am still all in at this point, I know my mouth is small, but I just thought it was because there are too many teeth!
After confirming the cost, he put spacers between my molars, this would be to push the teeth just enough so he could take impressions (which was done a week later) with a device in my mouth so it can be custom made.... Pretty cool, haha!
The spacers were a little shock to me, they are little blue prices of plastic which were placed between the molars. The reason I was shocked is as soon as they went in, I felt pressure! Already my teeth were moving, my bite was off and really it was uncomfortable, but I was excited!
After having a break from spacers for about a week, spacers went back in for two weeks, this time to hold the spaces for the real expander.
So on the 7th dec I had the device fitted, a super screw device, I had read up all I could, I understood that I will lisp and spit, talking will be difficult and pressure will be constantly present, I knew I had to turn the 'key' in my case, a spanner once a day everyday until told otherwise. It didn't hurt going in.
He placed it in my mouth in line with the spaces and asked me to bite down as he held the device in place and pushed it in. That's all I felt, very slight pressure, no pain, not even that uncomfortable either. It was in, he showed me how to turn the spanner, then made me me do it so he knew I was able. I felt heavier pressure after turning, again, not painful. He then asked me to do the whole 'she sells sea shells' thing, laughed a little and said 'your doing pretty good!'
After leaving I was just in awe of this thing, it was going to make my jaw bigger! After about half an hour, I realised I could no longer swallow normally, I had to very quickly find a way to swallow and for the first two days, I had to tip my head back to swallow, so I ate liquids, I didn't really even attempt milk in that time, I was taking my time to adapt.
Turning was pretty intense my first week, I felt constant pressure through my entire mouth, it was painful, I won't lie, but I never felt cracking whilst doing it. The one thing I have noticed is what I relate to pop-rocks, that sherbet that pops in your mouth, at times my palate feels as though there is pop rocks in there, not as intense or as tasty as the candy, but like that ... : I
Turning, pressure, turning, pressure.
I'm now at day 37. I stopped turning 8 days ago.
My molars and premolars have moved, I can definitely see that, there is more room, my smile is broader. I have no 'gap' (a positive side effect of expansion can be a gap developing between front teeth, quite a large gap) I did ask my ortho of this, he said that I should develop a gap somewhere in my last 6 turns.... No such luck.
Anyway, in this time I had adapted to the device, it is a massive downer though. I can't eat a lot of foods, I love lollies, they are a big no no!. Anything hard, sticky, chewy, nuts and popcorn are all of limits. Most foods get stuck, I lasted two weeks before I got a waterpik for Christmas. It's a electronic water flosser and is the best invention since the last cool thing I saw..... Without the waterpik I wouldn't eat a lot of different meats, lettuce, tomato and rice. Almost anything that isn't liquid will get stuck, and need to be dislodged by the tongue or swishing water, but the above foods get stuck good, I used to use a special toothpick which still left foods behind, now I use my waterpik, it takes like 40 seconds and all traced of food are removed with the pressure of the water. I get grossed out by seeing what is left behind, and sometimes I can't even feel it stuck in the arms of the expander...
So gross.
Elch.
I should also note the I often taste metal, I suppose that's expected.
The expander pushes on the sides of my mouth, I used wax for a about 3 weeks until I got used to it, it still catches on the skin at times and pulls the side of my mouth, but it's toughened up a lot.
The bar in the roof of my mouth has left an imprint on my tongue and I have had some small grazes along my tongue from the constant touching.
It's really not nice, but the mouth adapts so quickly to things I was surprised!
My speech was affected, others noticed it for a few days, they now tell me I sound normal. In my head, I still sound strange, I cannot pronounce certain letters correctly, although everyone tells me it sounds fine coming out.
I guess I will just believe them and ignore what I hear of my own voice because it makes me feel better.
I go back in just over a week to see the orthodontist and check the movement of my palate, the lack of a gap between my front teeth makes me a tad nervous that I will need to start turning again and prolong the process of keeping it on, but if it needs to be done, i will do it.
Post again then.
So I wanted to document the process of my upper palatal expansion, as I am a 26 year old female and there seems to be a total lack of information in relation to adult expansion available. I know because I have spent hours looking. Either way, I am trying again now, hoping that this saves somewhere and eventually I become much better at documenting my journey to beautiful teeth.
I decided to see an orthodontist last year, I know that orthodontists prefer to work with children, or teens as its much easier and prevents the mouth and jaw causing problems into adulthood. But unfortunately for me, not only did I have a tiny jaw, I also had infant teeth present right up until the age of 18, when I was pregnant with my daughter. My parents took us to dentists regularly, they all said the same, to wait for braces, see how her jaw grows... No need for orthodontics yet!
So when I became a parent at the young age of 18, the hope of having my pearly whites fixed vanished, everything that I had, had to go to keeping a roof over our heads, keeping us together and happy as a family. I didn't forget my dream to have nice teeth, I just postponed it. So after a few years, studying for a while and getting the nerve, (maybe I got some motivation from the beautiful kids that I get to work with everyday asking me if the tooth fairy visited me after I lost my tooth!) I asked some friends and booked an appointment with an orthodontist.
The initial consult was a tad nerve racking... I had never had an orthodontist in my mouth, and I had heard years of "my orthodontist friend would love to see you " off almost every dentist I had ever seen, so I was worried. I know my teeth are crooked, but without the cash flow around for the last 8 years, it's been impossible, and that's what I told him when he asked me why I had waited so long. He went on to tell me that he understood that side of things but obviously I had been putting up with things like migraine headaches (check), breathing difficulties (check), and difficulties eating (ummm check) for all of my adult life, and orthodontics can assist with all those problems. If I had of known earlier, I am sure I would have found the money somewhere. I have spent so much money on medications for migraines that it would probably have paid the deposit for my treatment right there and then!
After having a look he then said I would definitely need braces during treatment, (yup, accepted that long ago) and if I would like to go ahead we may be able to get them on by Christmas. Of course I was all in, I had waited forever to even see an orthodontist. He then went on to take pictures of my facial structure, my teeth and took an impression (or mould) of my teeth to be sent and made into a replica of my mouth to help understand the process. I had about 20+ X-rays done after that visit and upon my return after two weeks he had my treatment plan ready.
So my treatment plan states that I have a 'Malocclusion consisting of posterior and anterior cross-bite with severe upper and lower crowding'. My take on this is, my mouth is small, my teeth have no room and as a result are terribly crooked and unattractive, not to mention that my bite makes eating, cleaning and talking (keeping dribble from spraying out) difficult, and causes all those other things from earlier.
He goes on to tell me that although I will need braces, there's no room for them yet, my upper jaw is way to small for the teeth, let alone braces, I will need a upper palate expander for 4-6 months.
I am still all in at this point, I know my mouth is small, but I just thought it was because there are too many teeth!
After confirming the cost, he put spacers between my molars, this would be to push the teeth just enough so he could take impressions (which was done a week later) with a device in my mouth so it can be custom made.... Pretty cool, haha!
The spacers were a little shock to me, they are little blue prices of plastic which were placed between the molars. The reason I was shocked is as soon as they went in, I felt pressure! Already my teeth were moving, my bite was off and really it was uncomfortable, but I was excited!
After having a break from spacers for about a week, spacers went back in for two weeks, this time to hold the spaces for the real expander.
So on the 7th dec I had the device fitted, a super screw device, I had read up all I could, I understood that I will lisp and spit, talking will be difficult and pressure will be constantly present, I knew I had to turn the 'key' in my case, a spanner once a day everyday until told otherwise. It didn't hurt going in.
He placed it in my mouth in line with the spaces and asked me to bite down as he held the device in place and pushed it in. That's all I felt, very slight pressure, no pain, not even that uncomfortable either. It was in, he showed me how to turn the spanner, then made me me do it so he knew I was able. I felt heavier pressure after turning, again, not painful. He then asked me to do the whole 'she sells sea shells' thing, laughed a little and said 'your doing pretty good!'
After leaving I was just in awe of this thing, it was going to make my jaw bigger! After about half an hour, I realised I could no longer swallow normally, I had to very quickly find a way to swallow and for the first two days, I had to tip my head back to swallow, so I ate liquids, I didn't really even attempt milk in that time, I was taking my time to adapt.
Turning was pretty intense my first week, I felt constant pressure through my entire mouth, it was painful, I won't lie, but I never felt cracking whilst doing it. The one thing I have noticed is what I relate to pop-rocks, that sherbet that pops in your mouth, at times my palate feels as though there is pop rocks in there, not as intense or as tasty as the candy, but like that ... : I
Turning, pressure, turning, pressure.
I'm now at day 37. I stopped turning 8 days ago.
My molars and premolars have moved, I can definitely see that, there is more room, my smile is broader. I have no 'gap' (a positive side effect of expansion can be a gap developing between front teeth, quite a large gap) I did ask my ortho of this, he said that I should develop a gap somewhere in my last 6 turns.... No such luck.
Anyway, in this time I had adapted to the device, it is a massive downer though. I can't eat a lot of foods, I love lollies, they are a big no no!. Anything hard, sticky, chewy, nuts and popcorn are all of limits. Most foods get stuck, I lasted two weeks before I got a waterpik for Christmas. It's a electronic water flosser and is the best invention since the last cool thing I saw..... Without the waterpik I wouldn't eat a lot of different meats, lettuce, tomato and rice. Almost anything that isn't liquid will get stuck, and need to be dislodged by the tongue or swishing water, but the above foods get stuck good, I used to use a special toothpick which still left foods behind, now I use my waterpik, it takes like 40 seconds and all traced of food are removed with the pressure of the water. I get grossed out by seeing what is left behind, and sometimes I can't even feel it stuck in the arms of the expander...
So gross.
Elch.
I should also note the I often taste metal, I suppose that's expected.
The expander pushes on the sides of my mouth, I used wax for a about 3 weeks until I got used to it, it still catches on the skin at times and pulls the side of my mouth, but it's toughened up a lot.
The bar in the roof of my mouth has left an imprint on my tongue and I have had some small grazes along my tongue from the constant touching.
It's really not nice, but the mouth adapts so quickly to things I was surprised!
My speech was affected, others noticed it for a few days, they now tell me I sound normal. In my head, I still sound strange, I cannot pronounce certain letters correctly, although everyone tells me it sounds fine coming out.
I guess I will just believe them and ignore what I hear of my own voice because it makes me feel better.
I go back in just over a week to see the orthodontist and check the movement of my palate, the lack of a gap between my front teeth makes me a tad nervous that I will need to start turning again and prolong the process of keeping it on, but if it needs to be done, i will do it.
Post again then.
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