The Picky Eater Gets a Palate Expander
After a break of almost two decades, another family member hopped on the orthodontia train last Friday morning. This time it’s our soon-to-be-teenage son. Both my adult children had braces when they were younger, and my daughter had a palate expander initially. It wasn’t a big surprise that our youngest son would need one as well since he’s her biological offspring.
While there are far worse things in life than braces on one’s teeth for a few years, they do add an additional level of complexity to the daily routine. I speak from the parent perspective as well as my own experience – had them a teen and again as an adult because I didn’t wear my retainers the first time. Eating takes longer, there are things you just shouldn’t eat, brushing…and more brushing…to get all the gunk out. Or harping on your kid because they’re not brushing (that’d be my eldest who is now in his 30’s – good kid overall but snuck way too much soda into the house and didn’t brush well, He ended up with permanent decalcification where the brackets were glued on that is now costing him $ to fix).
However…I forgot what a pain (literally) the palate expander was! Or maybe it didn’t bother my daughter as much because she’s not a picky eater and she was never one to let a little pain get her down.
The boy has had his for 5 days now and, in all fairness, he’s being a better sport than I expected. He’s had sensitivity issues all his life – to strong smells and flavors, bright lights, loud noises, and pain. He does not like pain. I often wonder if his prenatal exposures caused him to perceive all these things differently than most people do. Maybe he really does feel a greater level of discomfort when static electricity jumps from the light switch to his finger in the wintertime. Maybe he’s not just being overly dramatic.
Looks like a little torture device, doesn’t it?
I have to admit this thing sounds awful! See that little hole in the middle? I have a special “key” that fits in there. Once per day I insert the key and gently press down on it to move that hole further back and expose the new hole, so that I can repeat the process tomorrow. Turning it creates increasing pressure on his teeth and will eventually separate his palate, widening it and creating more space for his missing eye teeth to come in and everything else to be moved into better alignment with his bottom teeth. But in the mean time, those teeth with the bands on them are really hurting him, and I feel like an ogre because I’m the tightening the torture device and causing him the pain.
Interestingly enough, the separating of the palate itself is not supposed to be painful itself, especially at his age, because the two sides of the palate don’t firmly fuse together until we hit puberty and he’s not quite there yet. I remember turning my daughter’s key years ago and her telling me it made the bridge of her nose feel funny but that was it. Still, each time I turn that key…slowly…I cringe.
What do you do when they’re picky eaters?
My son is a picky eater – really, really picky! My sister says it’s payback. She’s probably correct.
When our older kids were little, mine weren’t as “selective” as hers were. I told her I’d never cook special for a child. They’d have to eat what I was fixing or go fix themselves cereal. Well, this boy takes picky to a whole new level. When he was really young he was also very thin. The doctor was more concerned about just getting him to eat something so he’d continue to gain weight. But we all know, once habits are set they’re hard to break. What he liked was not particularly healthy, nor was it what the hubby and I wanted to eat on a daily basis. And so it began…cooking multiple things for multiple people. I feel like a short order cook at times.
Some nights I cook special for him and prepare more “adult” items for myself and the hubby – things like lemon brown butter pasta or jerk shrimp and rice. Other nights I fix things we will all eat (tacos), or the guys will have a frozen pizza and I’ll prepare something like baked salmon and glazed carrots for myself (the hubby avoids fish whenever possible). The important thing was that we had a routine that worked for us most of the time.
Then came the expander and I was caught off guard…
Picky eater + palate expander = ?
Because his teeth hurt, he doesn’t want to chew meat unless it’s really soft (Costco roaster chicken to the rescue last night). Goldfish crackers hurt, too. Peas and Brussels sprouts, his two go-to veggies, get stuck under the expander. Noodles do as well, so now we have to chop them into oblivion. (And oh goodness – the sound he makes when food is stuck! It’s sort of like a cat hacking up a hairball.) Buns, tortillas, or anything doughy – a complete no-go right now. We haven’t tried pizza yet but I’m guessing it will fall into that same category. He’s not a fruit eater but at least applesauce is his fruit of choice so that’s a small win.
He discovered immediately that most of what was on the school’s lunch menu wasn’t going to fly. Yesterday, I packed him a thermos of Cambell’s chicken and obliterated noodle soup. Today that same thermos was filled with mashed potatoes. Both came with a side of applesauce. That’s not much for a tween boy to eat. Between the Covid lockdown/virtual schooling for a couple years and his desire to only exercise his thumbs (video gamer) vs. his entire body, he has put on some extra weight. I’m no longer concerned that he will waste away. I do want him to get adequate nutrition, though.
Looking ahead
Thankfully, the expander should only need to be turned for a couple weeks or so. Once we’re there, the orthodontist will lock it in place and it will stay in his mouth (collecting food, of course) for the next four months while new bone forms and everything solidifies. I’m hoping that once it’s locked and the pressure is off those back teeth, he’ll get some relief from the ache and we’ll be able to add a few items back to his menu. I know once braces are installed there will be days where that ache comes back, but I only remember it lasting for a few days immediately following my adjustments each month.
As for the stuck-food issue, I found a lot of recommendations for a Waterpik water flosser. I purchased the cheapest portable one I could find yesterday at Walmart and gave him a lesson on how to use it. After the first few tries where water ended up on the countertop, the floor and in his hair (possibly on the wall as well), he’s getting the hang of it. He’ll still have to make due with the little pipe-cleaner brushes from the orthodontist when he goes to school, but at least at home he can quickly flush everything out. I’m hoping it will help keep his braces clean as well in a few months.
Is it all necessary?
Sometimes I question whether orthodontia is sort of a vanity thing. Am I falling victim to society’s expectations? Should I have just said “no” when his dentist referred us due to his significant crowding issues and overjet? I try and tell myself that I want his teeth to fit together better because it will be easier for him to brush and floss them and should be better on his jaws if they’re aligned properly. Without pulling two bicuspids and creating more room, his cuspids (eye teeth) were likely never going to come down. I also remember, when my own teeth ended up super-crooked after not wearing my retainer as a teen, how self-conscious I was about smiling with my teeth showing especially in a photo. My teeth aren’t perfect even after a second round of braces but they’re much more “normal” looking.
But in the end, it’s still considered cosmetic treatment. Insurance is only paying a small fraction of the cost. As a Christian, I want to be content with what God has given me. He gives us our teeth. And yet, he’s also given us knowledge on how to make some of these things work better. Where do we draw the line?
What are your thoughts? And if your child has had a palate expander or braces and struggles with eating, I’d love to hear your tips and tricks to make things easier. So many things that most kids eat, like cheese sticks or peanut butter or even spaghetti and meat sauce are foods he won’t touch.
Update: Two weeks into this journey, I’m happy to report the boy’s eating is much closer to normal! There are still a few things that are tough for him – breaded chicken patties, anything too gooey or sticky, and peas as their little shells get stuck under the expander. The hacking has decreased considerably. And he is loving the water flosser! I might have to look into one for myself sometime.
