Quote Originally Posted by abuja View Post
Oh Tiff, I was in the same position about 6 months ago. The separators will hurt for about a week, then they'll stop and just be annoying.

Now the expander, I get mine off in February after getting it on in august. Several things:

1. FOOD. Get a WaterPik, it'll help so much with all the crap that gets stuck in your palatal expander. It is a lifesaver!!! And only bout 20 dollars. Also, watch for certain foods like lettuce, bacon, noodles, etc that get stuck for forever up there!

2. KEY. It's hard to first few turns, make sure your orthodontist lets one of your parents turn it AT THE ORTHODONTIST to make sure they know how.

3. PAIN. Separators, I'm sorry, are nothing compared to this contraption. You'll turn in for about 6-8 weeks once a day/night. The first 2 weeks, it'll hurt. It'll give you a headache for about 30 minutes after each time for a little while, so be prepared with advil or tylenol. Take a bath, it'll relax you.

4. STRANGE. It'll feel so weird in your mouth (out of context quote, i know) but you'll get used to feeling it and everything will become habitual and normal for you.

Several things on the braces:

1. PAIN. It'll hurt every time you get them adjusted. With your expander in, there will be NO WIRE on your top jaw for a few weeks/months, so that's good.

2. MOVEMENT. Expect SO MUCH movement in your lower teeth. Over the last 4 months, my bottom teeth are completely straight. They move FAST.

3. FOOD. Food will get stuck, believe me. Get a WaterPik.

4. CARE. What I do, and the ortho always says I'm doing wonderfully, is brush 2 times a day, morning and night, and WaterPik at night. Once a week, I floss, brush, WaterPik, and mouthwash: the whole shbang! It works for me.

5. FOOD 2. For the first 2 weeks your teeth are UNBELIEVABLY sensitive, so listen closely. Get yogurt, milk, cheese, thinly sliced meats, thin breads, etc. That'll be your diet for 2 weeks.

I hope my advice helped! Trust me, if I had known all this a few months ago, life would've been WAY easier.

EDIT: Look up pics and vids of the palatal expander. Helps to understand it A LOT.
sam took wat i was gona say.but dont feel bad i got to get the seperaters today