In order for your treatment to proceed properly, someone must adjust (turn) the screw located on the appliance.  We will provide you with a   key, and show you how to activate the appliance.  We will specify the number of turns (activation's) needed to reach our objective.  The best time to activate your expander is first thing in the morning .   If you ever have any difficulty with turning the appliance, please call the office immediately.  If you are in doubt of the number of turns you should complete, call us right away.

To view a detailed picture on how to activate your appliance please click on the thumbnail photograph below.

Click on the photographs below:

The Aculight by Great Lakes Orthodontics has an expansion key with a spot light, this makes activating the appliance much easier.  For more information please  click here.  

         Important Information to help you adjust to your expander

Getting adjusted to your appliance will take a few days but here are some helpful tips that should ease your adjustment period.

When the appliance is placed in the mouth the patient will have a hard time swallowing.  Many people find this to be a very unpleasant experience.  Difficulty in swallowing is caused by the fact that the tongue can not make proper contact with the roof of the mouth to initiate the swallowing reflex.  Once food  is placed in the mouth and chewed a few times it is now ready to be swallowed. The tongue now rises with the food until it reaches the roof of the mouth, then it pushes the food back to the throat. 

When the tongue touches the roof of the mouth, a signal (feed back) is sent to the muscles of the throat to prepare for the passage of food or liquid.  In normal situations this mechanism works very well, but when an appliance is in place, the tongue can not properly touch the roof of the mouth.  What is interesting about this response is the fact that if the tongue can not make proper contact and relay the swallowing signal,  the backward movement of food is halted and the person will have a gag reflex.  I would imagine this protective reflex is designed to clear and or prevent the passage of any foreign or unexpected objects to the throat thus protecting the person from choking.    

You will adapt to the appliance and the gagging response is in most cases resolved in a matter of hours.  To help speed this "adaptive"  process we encourage our patients to drink water or eat something soft  as soon as they get home. 

                    What can I eat with this appliance in place?

During the first few days, keep it simple and keep it soft.  It is extremely important that you avoid sticky foods for the first week that the appliance is in place.  Foods such as soup, noodles, rice and mash potatoes work very well.  They are easy to clean out of your appliance.    I often tell parents to have their kid experiment with different types foods at home, when you find something that works well, stick with it.  Many of our patients have told us that they have their kid drink plenty of water along with their meal.  Taking a "Swig" of water after every few bites of food will help keep the food from building up on the appliance and it really helped them swallow a lot easier.  

The need to drink water after each bite will drastically drop off as you become get adjusted to your appliance.  Remember, what ever foods work well for you at home, you should consider eating the same thing when you dine out.  This will reduce anxiety and prevent a trip to the rest room to remove food that is wedged in the appliance.  If food should become wedged in the appliance and you can not go the rest room to remove it, drink water or a suitable liquid.  Vigorously swish the fluid around in your mouth creating as much positive and negative pressure as possible.   Some of our patients even against our advise will still eat sticky foods only to find out the hard way how difficult it is to get this stuff out from the appliance.

Taking care of the appliance is relatively straightforward.   You must brush your teeth and clean around the appliance as well.  We have supplied a proxy brush in your kit, that will allow you to clean in between areas that your regular toothbrush can not reach.   It has been our experience that the majority of our patients can eat, speak and drink normally after about 1 week.  After a month or so many say that they can eat a lot regular foods without the fear of it getting "stuck".  The majority of our patients keep their appliances in place for 3 to 6 months.  

There are some areas of your expander that may cause some irritation to your cheek and gums.  This can usually be resolved with wax.  The best way to place wax is to take a piece and roll it into a small ball, then dry the band or the area where it will be placed.  The wax will stick better if the area is dry.   Although it is an old remedy salt water rinses still work.  If a sore should develop on your gum, use the topical anesthetic that we provided you in your kit.  Place a small dab on the area and apply it as need.  Follow the instructions on the label.  If you do not have access to the anesthetic then use salt water rinses.   If possible rinse three times a day for the first 3 days and as needed thereafter.  

Pain relievers can make you more comfortable.  They should only be taken as directed and as needed.   Do not exceed the recommended dosage  in a 24 hour period.  If pain still exists after days please contact our office immediately.  In some cases the appliance may become loose, if this happens contact our office as soon as possible.   301-333-3900 

                          What to expect with your expander

	Space between your upper front teeth can occur.  This is temporary, and the space will close later.
	Speech and Swallowing Difficulties are temporary and will improve after an adjustment period during the first few days.
	Sore Areas on cheeks and tongue can occur during the first few days.  Use the wax and bite wafer we have provided in your kit to help make a smoother area.
	Good Brushing of your teeth and the expander is very important.  An oral irrigator (waterpik) can be helpful in removing food under the appliance.
	Avoid sticky or hard foods such as candy, gum, hard crusts, and popcorn.

If you ever have any questions or problems, please feel free to contact the our office by