It is possible for food to get lodged into the activation head. A toothpick is a good tool to clean out the activation head.

The large gap in between the front teeth is a sign that the process is working and the patient is getting a nice palatal split.

Speech may be affected, but reading out loud for the first week or so will help to adapt speech back to normal.

The patient can expect pressure sensations at the cheek bones and possibly between the eyes while activating. This pressure will go away within minutes.

Insert the blue handled key into the activation screw head and try to have the butt-end of the blue handle pointed up towards the patients nose. (This is called the 12 o’clock position and is a good starting point.) From the operator’s perspective (not the patient), the key is turned in a clockwise direction to initiate the expansion. There are 2 sides on the key, one has a target and the other side does not. Make sure you are pushing on the target to insure the key is being turned the proper direction. Turn the key (like a car key) until the butt-end reaches the 12 o’clock position again. This is 1 full activation.