What to Expect with Your Expander

What to Expect with Your ExpanderReston, VA

Congratulations on the start of your journey with us to a new smile! Here is a summary of what to expect as you adjust to your expander:

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  1. Expect your tongue to feel like something is in the way! It will drive your tongue crazy for 3-7 days for most people, and up to 14 days for select patients. Patients with strong tongue muscles may even see an indentation of the shape of the expander on the tongue, and that is normal.
  2. Swallowing and chewing will feel awkward for 3-7 days for most people, and up to 14 days for select patients.
  3. You will speak funny or with a lisp for 3-7 days for most people, and up to 14 days for select patients.
  4. As the expander widens the jaw, the bands on the side of your teeth may feel like they are pushing against your cheeks. You can text our office to come in so we can apply extra wax if necessary.
  5. We are looking for a gap to open up between the front teeth by the end of the 2 weeks of turning. If no gap opens, then we will try for 2 more weeks before we determine if we need to switch to a mini-screw expander (MSE) to get the expansion we need. This expander is generally more expensive ($2500) and reserved for times when the bone is too strong and not able to be expanded by a traditional expander. This is generally for patients older than 13 years old.
  6. We recommend avoiding sticky and chewy foods while the expander is in the mouth to avoid hygiene issues or causing the expander to fall out.
  7. The expander will stay for at least 4 months after the last turn to allow new bone to fill in the gap we have created to minimize relapse of the expansion.
  8. If the expander becomes loose, please let us know right away so that we can recement it. This often happens as the pressure of the force against the band can separate the glue. The sooner we can fix this, the less likely we will have to take a new impression and order a new one.
  9. The expander will stay in the mouth and often times we will add braces to continue making more space for teeth as needed.
  10. Daily mouth rinses are recommended, and Oral B Mouth Sore rinse is good to reduce any ulceration occurring in the mouth.

Contact Us

Precision Orthodontics & Pediatric Dentistry is located at
12359 Sunrise Valley Dr Ste 210
Reston, VA
20191

(703) 391-8800

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