Asked by: Stacee Fürther
medical health dental health

What can you eat with a expander?

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Include lots of fruits and vegetables, along with meat, milk and whole grain bread. Do not eat sticky or chewy foods such as gum, taffy, caramels or licorice. Do not eat hard foods like ice, nuts or popcorn. Whole raw carrots, celery and apples should be cut into bite-size pieces.


Keeping this in view, can you eat popcorn with expander?

Chewy or sticky candy like chewing gum, taffy, licorice, and caramels should be avoided. Hard and crunchy foods like popcorn, nuts, and ice are also not recommended with a palate expander. Instead, opt for softer snacks and try satisfying your child's sweet tooth with fruit or softer desserts like ice cream.

Also, how painful is a palate expander? No, it doesn't hurt. After the expander is turned you may feel pressure in the area of the teeth, and tingling around the bridge of the nose or under your eyes. The sensation generally lasts for about 5 minutes and then dissipates.

Also to know, how long does it take to get used to eating with an expander?

It make take up to one week to adjust to an expander. Your child may feel some pressure on the roof of the mouth and on the molar teeth. Your child may also complain that it feels funny to swallow as his or her tongue must adjust to the new appliance.

What can you eat with a Herbst appliance?

As with all kinds of braces, patients with Herbst appliances need to be careful about what they eat. For instance, cold foods such as ice slushes, Popsicles and ice will freeze the cement and make the brace loosen. Sticky foods such as caramels, bubble gum and candy suckers will pull the brace away from the teeth.

Related Question Answers

Atsuko Schirrmacher

Professional

How do you keep food out of expanders?

After every time you eat, rinse your mouth with water to flush out food between the roof of your mouth and the expander. Brush your teeth and all around the expander, including all metal parts and screws. Avoid foods that are sticky or hard that can dislodge the expander.

Seck Zobel

Professional

Can you brush your teeth with spacers?

To brush your teeth with spacers, you can brush as you normally would, with one crucial exception. Brush your teeth in a back-and-forth movement, instead of up-and-down strokes. This will help keep the spacers in place. Check after brushing to make sure that all the spacers are still where your dentist placed them.

Milko Lezaun

Professional

Does a palatal expander change your face?

Additional orthodontic work is sometimes needed in more severe cases. A Herpst appliance or a palatal expander can move the jaw or widen the upper jaw. The ultimate result is a new smile and, in most moderate to severe cases, orthodontics change the shape of your face - subtly.

Danil Scheydt

Explainer

What can you not eat with expanders?

Include lots of fruits and vegetables, along with meat, milk and whole grain bread. Do not eat sticky or chewy foods such as gum, taffy, caramels or licorice. Do not eat hard foods like ice, nuts or popcorn. Whole raw carrots, celery and apples should be cut into bite-size pieces.

Summer Elagin

Explainer

Can I eat chips with spacers?

You may eat normally with the separators in, but we do recommend avoiding chewing gum and very sticky foods, like chewey/sticky candy (caramel, taffy, tootsie rolls, gummy bears, Snickers bars, and any other sticky candy), as they may make your separators fall out prematurely.

Tinisha Marjalizo

Explainer

How many times do you turn an expander?

We typically recommend turning the expander two times a day for approximately two weeks.

Montesion Odorici

Pundit

Can you eat skittles with spacers?

If the separator causes any discomfort, you can take Tylenol or Advil. You should avoid chewing gum and eating sticky foods such as laffy taffy, skittles, sour patch kids, and tootsie rolls - anything that sticks to the teeth can pull the separators out. You can still floss except for where the separator is.

Zoubair Viranovsky

Pundit

What helps with expander pain?

This can be done through applying ice packs to the side of the face, drinking cold beverages, or eating cold, soft food (such as yogurt or ice cream). If your child is feeling extreme discomfort, it's often best to let her stay home from school for the day. Just make sure to find some distractions.

Todd Rutigliano

Pundit

Do expanders make you talk funny?

During the first day it is normal for the patient to notice somewhat of a metal taste. Altered Speech - When the expander goes in, the patient may talk a little funny and have a lisp. This is only temporary, and will usually last less than a couple days.

Tempie Ouyang

Pundit

Do expanders always give you a gap?

Does Everyone Get a Gap With an Expander? It's normal to have a small gap between the front teeth. In fact, it is not uncommon for the gap between the two front teeth to be completely closed by the time the expander is removed.

Erno Otagain

Pundit

Does an expander break your jaw?

A palatal expander does not break your jaw. It separates the bones at the mid-palatal suture.

Chassidy Yraurgui

Teacher

Are expanders really necessary?

Lovrovich. A palate expander is one of the most common ways that orthodontists treat crossbites and crowding issues in the mouths of their growing patients. The most successful expanders are fixed to the teeth, and they are often needed before braces in order to provide more room in the mouth.

Diara Geroev

Teacher

How long do expanders stay in before braces?

During this time of activation, you will visit the office every three weeks. If you are unable to keep your appointment, stop turning the expander until your next visit. After the initial six weeks of expansion, the expander will remain in the mouth for four to six months. This will allow the upper jaw to stabilize.

Florenci Sapin

Teacher

What does an expander do to your teeth?

An expander can be fixed (bonded to the mouth) or removable. It attaches to the upper back teeth and eases the suture apart, which makes the upper jaw wider. As the jaw expands, new bone fills in between the two halves of the palate. This process is called distraction osteogenesis.

Damion Jenzsch

Teacher

What can I eat first day of braces?

Until you get used to eating with your new braces it may be best to start on a diet of softer foods. The easiest foods to eat with braces are things like yogurt, pudding, seedless bread, boiled vegetables, pasta, or thin soups. We will provide and show you how to use dental wax to apply over the braces as necessary.

Isaia Alert

Reviewer

How do you clean expanders?

In order to ensure proper care, you need to use the right oral hygiene products. We always recommend patients use a soft bristled toothbrush and minimally abrasive toothpaste. You may also want to invest in a water flosser to thoroughly remove food particles and plaque from your palatal expander.

Helio Guadalajara

Reviewer

What is the best age to get a palate expander?

A common orthodontic treatment that is used between the ages of 7-10 years old is a palatal expander. The purpose of the palatar expander is to help the top jaw grow naturally! The reason orthodontists recommend a palatal expander at such a young age is because that is when the top jaw is still growing.

Oristela Brugging

Reviewer

How do you know if palatal expander is working?

Your child may find that speaking and eating feels different at first as the tongue adjusts to the presence of the appliance. It is also completely normal to see a gap develop between the front teeth. This shows that the expander is having the desired effect.

Miladis Lestegas

Supporter

Can adults have palatal expanders?

A palatal expander is used to widen the upper jaw so that the bottom and upper teeth will fit together better. The use of a palatal expander is most common in children, however many adults find success with them as well. Palatal expanders can be used to correct the following conditions: Teeth crowding.