Expander with Tongue Crib

My daughter is going to have to have the same thing or something similiar, She is also 10 years old. I am thinking things they can suck through a straw. Thin soups, Tomato for example. Jello is soft, pudding is soft. Something where the chewing isn't going to make it any more painful then it has to be. Then again it might be something the both of them have to go through until their mouths toughen up. I am not looking forward to that either.

B

Hi H. - My 10 year old had an expander when he was 7 so I have a little experience. The first week is definitely the hardest and then it gets better. You're probably already giving him soft foods and everything else the ortho has suggested.
I am also a bodyworker and have some suggestions for dealing with the pain in a holistic way.
1. rescue rememdy is a bach flower remedy that you can get at natural foods stores or Castle Remedies in our area. It is great for calming the nervous system and helping to heal from traumas - which this is.
2. Cranio-Sacral Therapy is an excellent modality that I believe should always be used in conjuction with orthodontics. You can learn more about it at upledger.com. I can help you find a qualified practioner if you need some support.
3. Reflexology is another form of bodywork that will help to naturally ease some of the pain. It works by stimulating points in the feet that correspond to the body and can be great at calming the nervous system. This is something I actually do and can even teach you some simple things you can do for your son.

Hopefully this is a good start and not too overwhelming. If it doesn't get better in a week. I would reccomend going back to the ortho and making sure the device is not too tight.
My heart goes out to you. Been there, done that.

About me:
40+ mom, married with one 10 year old and a cat. Practicing massage therapist, reflexologist as well as many other interesting modalities. Love to dance.

I had an expander. It was a long time ago (too long to confess. lol), but I CLEARLY remember how hard it was to eat. It's not just the apparatus, it's that my teeth constantly hurt for a long time because you keep having to turn the screws. They would say, this will only hurt for a while, but it seemed like I ate soup, pudding, jello and anything else VERY soft for a long time. My lunches I packed to school were a study in soft foods for what seemed like forever to a high school student. It was probably more like a month. lol Okay, so maybe I was a drama queen. I have three daughters now, so I'm getting paid back in spades. lol I survived, he will too. At least he's getting this done before high school. Trust me, it's better this way. Hard to watch, I'm sure, but better in the long run.

Ok having gone through this myself, oldest son and former step daughter my former step daughter had a expander. What I found works best is the kids loved to get slushies right after the appointment that helped. Soup is a staple you must have in the house for the first week after any adjustment to the braces. Other things that could work: Walmart has a protein shake that is under 10.00 it is called Advant Edge Soy Protein with 20grams I have hypoglycimia and it works good for me. I personally think the Vanilla tastes better than the Chocolate I do not like most protein drinks and my 8 year old beggs me to have a glass :). The other thing is spegittei and anything with noodles when I had my braces I came up with a recipe of the spril vegtable noodles (colored) Chicken, tomatoes, black olives, parmesan cheese and wish bone Italian dressing. The when the kids got there braces would beg me to make for them. the other one is romen noodle soup but not one I would suggest for long term not enough nutrients in it. Mash potates. My orthodontis told me to put dinner in a blender and make it a shake.
Hope this helps if you would like the recipe for the chicken and noodles email me.

P.

When I had braces, instant mashed potatoes were one of the main foods I ate for the first few days. Oatmeal and soup were also comforting because they were warm. By about the 3rd day, I was able to add in fig newtons and other soft foods like that.

Well It sounds absolutely miserable -I hope he doesnt have to wear it too long
I wore braces into my 40th year -the orthodontist is not always 100% up front with us is he/she !
All of the advice so far is excellent-
I put things in the blender (adding the appropriate liquid as necessary )
At times I had to use a larger straw placed along my cheek and kind of "nurse" the "food" down -turning my head to that side helped.
The important thing is for your young son to get enough calories to stay healthy and heal !

WOW it sounds painfull. I did have 5 years of braces so I can relate. I would say soups and stews with tender meat. Maybe some cream of wheat or oatmeal. Eggs. Anything that requires minimum chewing. Maybe even some protien packed smoothies.

BEST of LUCK

I had a Pallet Expander and I know how your son feels.
Just make sure he eats high calorie foods or keeps eating or he'll loose lots of weight. I recommend oats, Juices, and boost or ensure drinks. I now have TMJ as a result of having the expander and it is just as painful sometimes as when I had the expander. You might want to talk to your orthodontist and make sure e doesnt develop TMJ.
Good luck with Orthodontics.

My son had a palate expander but it seems to have been a little different. However, you can get a protein powder in a pleasing flavor and mix it in milk, soy or rice milk. I also blend up frozen fruit in the shake so it is cold and it's very yummy!

Soup is good, mashed potatoes works well also. Soft scrambled eggs would work as well. Ground turkey or beef should be pretty easy to eat as well. Offer him a motrin for the pain.

Kids are amazingly resilient and he'll adjust in no time at all. I have been surprised at how little pain my son is in with his braces. When I had mine, I was always hurting but he's quite a trooper!

I hope this helps!

H., I'm not sure if my daughter's expander was the same as your son's, but hers was a wire type of loop that was different than the kind many of her friends had. She had some real difficulties speaking and eating at first, but did adjust rather quickly (within a week). She ate creamy soups and smoothies for that first week pretty much. If you have a blender you can make a smoothie out of fruits (bananas and frozen berries) with milk, yogurt or juice. You can find lots of recipes all over the internet. She also sucked on ice chips and did use ibuprofen or tylenol when the pain was at its worst.

Good luck. If your son is anything like my daughter, the expander was the most difficult part. Getting braces after that will be a breeze for him.