Expander before braces

[countrysidefields]

Has anyone had experience of having an expander fitted to their mouths before having braces?

DS is due to have an expander fitted in February so just after some more information on them.

Does it hurt once it’s fitted? I understand there is a screw that needs turning once a day

Do you have to avoid certain foods?

Any helpful tips to keep it clean?

Any other helpful comments if you or your kids have had one fitted would be really good.
Thanks

I had one. Gave me a lisp which wasn’t fun in school.. but it just aches quite a bit. But in a way where you wanna keep pressing your teeth.. like pressing a bruise.

you should be able to remove it for eating/drinking if I remember correctly.

DD had a fixed expander fitted when she was 11, she had it in for a total of about 18 months. It was uncomfortable at first and through the tightening phase she had painkillers every night after we’d done the turn. We did a turn a day for about 4 weeks but each case is different.
It made DD talk with a bit of a lisp to start with and she had to relearn how to eat with it in, get lots of soft foods in to start with. After the turning is finished it’s just the holding phase while the new bone grows, DD wore hers alongside her train tracks for about 6 months.
If you have any questions please ask away.

Thank you for your replies, very helpful. I will make sure we have some soft food for him to eat.