Why Have a Palate Expander if You're Getting Braces Anyway???

Hi  Friends!
I hope you are all doing well with your palate expanders! I've had mine off now for about a month but I still like to be in touch with you and say hello because if you are reading this, that means you are going through the experience of having a palate expander and I am certainly someone who understands what you are going through.

One of the questions I've gotten over and over is...

Why Have A Palate Expander If You're Getting Braces Anyway?????

I asked my wonderful dentist the answer to this question which is...

"The palatal expander really is treating the bones to ensure that the upper and lower jaws are the same size.  Yes, the teeth move now but it's because their is more space. Braces alone do not correct this problem."
I hope that answered the question.

One of our readers mentioned that her palate expander broke but after all the turns were done, so her dentist took it off. I know you are supposed to keep it on for awhile after you are done turning the key, but if this reader can let us know how long ago the turns stopped, that would be great.

I hope you all have a good day.
Your Friend
Colin :)

Answers to Some of Your Comments

First I have to say that I learned a lot about 9/11 in school this week and even though I know that I wasn't born then, I hope that it never happens again and that we are all safe and happy.

Found this online and thought it was interesting to share on my blog. These are two different kinds of palate expanders. I had the one on the left.

Now to answer some of your comments...
To Alexa:
Alexa got her palate expander on last week but this week will start to turn it. Alexa was like me - we both first got it on and then we waited before we started turning. With me, my dentist thought I was a little nervous so he wanted me to get used to it. I talked to my dentist about this and he said that sometimes kids get so scared with the palate exander so the dentist will have them get used to it before they start doing the key.
To Lucy:
Lucy wrote and said that having a palate expander is not fun. It is NOT something that is fun, but I tried to look at the positives and sometimes you will see that I wrote lists like "what you can do with a palate expander." I tried to make it funny. Maybe you can add some to the list and I can make a new list.
To Jessica:
Jessica wanted to know if I am eating a lot of popcorn now that the expander is off and the answer is YES, YES YES!!! and my Mom is happy to be able to give me popcorn for my school snack again. Yey!

I still check my blog almost every day so if you questions, I can answer it. Remember, I went through this and I know what you are thinking and how you are feeling and so are all of the thousands of people that have checked my blog.
Have a good day.
Your Friend, Colin

Here is the video of me getting my palate expander off

Hi to my Online friends,

These are the videos of me getting my palate expander off. From Your Friend, Colin :)

It's Off! Hooray Hooray Hooray!

Well yesterday was the BBBBBBBBBBBBIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGGGGGGGGGGGGGG day when they took my palate expander off. When they did it, the top of my mouth kind of felt a little weird because I had it on so long and I kind of forgot what it is like to have the palate expander off. My mouth feels strange without it. It took so long to get used to it and now I don't know if I miss it or not.

They used some kind of pliers to take it off. It only hurt a tiny bit and it was quick. It hurt by my teeth where they got the thing off. My Mom couldn't come with me this time because she tore a muscle in her hip while dancing with me and my brother the other day, so my Dad came and My mom told him to video it because some of you wanted to see it. I still have to get the video from my Dad and then I will put it on the blog.

So I have done it. And the dentist said it will be a couple of years before I need braces.

I will miss doing my blog and hearing all the nice things everyone has to say so I will keep writing and answer your questions and support all of you who will and are going through this. If I can do it, anyone can do it. I am proud of all of us.

Your Friend,
Colin

P.S. A message to Samantha who wrote me a very nice note. No, we are not in New York but we are on the East Coast. We will be fine. Thank you for your good wishes about the storm and the congratulations for having my palate expander off. That was so nice of you. Have a good day. Your Friend, colin

3 More Days, Popcorn, Questions, and my mom is crazy

Hi Friends,

In 3 days, I am getting my palate expander off but don't worry, I will still check on here and write and answer your questions! I am feeling a little nervous, a little confident that my mouth will be better, but I am a little scared when they take it off. Please wish me luck.

Erzsbet who is a 9th grader wrote to me about the popcorn issue. With her palate expander, she eats food like popcorn all the time, plus she has braces too! So, she asked her orthodontist who told her
"It's not about what foods you eat, it's about HOW you eat it. He said it's perfectly fine to eat foods like popcorn, as long as you're a good cleaner. Unfortunatly a thorough brushing after every meal is one of the prices you have to pay for such yummy foods (We're all *supposed* to do that anyways)..

So for this answer, I don't know what to tell you. I eat it too. Shhhh! Don't tell my dentist, but it gets stuck once in awhile. When I had my teeth cleaning, they found popcorn in it and that was bad. Well I don't know how to explain how i felt when they said that except I thought, "oops!" And you know we are kids, well some of us are grownups too who read this, and how can we resist popcorn? But today my Mom saw that I was coughing when I went to get my new glasses at the eye doctor so she said to me, "do you want a piece of gum?" and I was like "ARE YOU KIDDING? I HAVE A PALATE EXPANDER IN MY MOUTH." Maybe she was testing me. And also, I have never been allowed to ever chew gum so why did she even think that I would want some. P.S. Never had cavities...maybe not chewing gum is working for that. haha.

Another reader of my blog asked what would happen if we turned the key too many times..so I sent the question to my dentist and when I get an answer I will post that too.

3 days to go and this thing comes off.

Your Friend
Colin

Your Pictures

I forgot to ask...if any of you want to show me your pictures maybe before and after of your palate expander, I can post them on here (without names and anonymous). This way we can show everyone who checks it out more examples of what a great (even though it hurts) thing it is because we will all have beuatiful smiles. If you want to send me your picture, just send me a comment and I will send you an email address you can send them to.
Your Friend
Colin
thank you

Almost there...

Hi to all my friends,
Just less than a week and I have my palate expander taken off. I am going to see if they will let my mom video them taking it off. This way I can honestly answer everyone when they ask me i fit hurts to have it taken off. So far, my dentist has said no that it doesn't hurt but you never know so I will be able to let you know for sure.
There is a boy named Lucas who made a nice comment about my blog. He said he has the palate expander and he has braces. Good luck to him! He said that the tools his dentist uses are different than the tools I showed in one of the pictures we took at my dentist. I am sure that every dentist does things differently but my mom says even though they do things different, all the dentists just want all of us to have good teeth.

This weekend I am going to work on a page about the memories of my palate expander. School starts soon so my mom wants me to write a poem about it. We will see.
Have a good day.
your Friend,
Colin :)
P.S. Last week I went to my friend Anthony's party and I got to be in a dunk tank! It was fun!