Now that my son has been wearing the Palatal Expander for a few weeks, I wanted to share his experience with it.
If you would like to read the first post explaining the first part of the procedure, you can find it here.
Keep in mind, he is 8 years old, so... it is mostly... well, complaints!
I have added how we have handled... most of the complaints. We are definitely in need of suggestions if anyone has any...
Complaint #1:
"Almost all my food gets stuck" - yep, tis true! He tends to be a carb happy kid, and well, all his favorites, toast, pancakes, waffles... are constantly getting stuck on the way down the pipe. There has been a lot of unusual "digging" around his mouth going on at the dinner table lately.
Solution #1:
He has been eating mostly... soft ish... food. Oatmeal for breakfast, Pudding/applesauce/noodles for lunch and green smoothies for dinner.
However, as time has passed, he has been starting to "go for" all his regular food items... within reason.
Complaint #2:
"My pills get STUCK" - again... good point. My son currently takes medication three times a day. And, EVERY SINGLE TIME he does, the pill gets stuck right smack dab in the middle of the appliance. Somehow, he manages to get the pills down, but, we are still working on this one.
Solution:
Still looking for it, if you have it... please share!
Complaint #3:
"Turning the Key is/was kind of... well... traumatic" - those are his words... I promise! I think this one is mostly due to his major gag reflex, but... it is pretty difficult to turn... so, perhaps others feel this way too?
Solution:
My husband found that he had to hold the key at the very top next to the metal rod to get it to turn easier. We need more ideas for this one too!
Complaint #4:
"My mouth hurts" - Unfortunately, the orthodontist did say this may happen.
Solution:
My friends Tylenol, Ibuprofen for the nights he was really hurting.
Ice packs for when it was uncomfortable.
Complaint #5:
"The impressions they take, with the yucky stuff in the tray, make me throw up" - Yep... I've heard a few times now this happens
Solution:
A friend of mine said to stick one leg straight out during the impression.
I will continue to update our journey as it goes along! Stay tuned!
Labels: Orthodontic Treatment, Tips & Tricks
