Saskatoon – Stephenson Orthodontics
An orthodontic expander is an appliance that is placed on the roof of the mouth to gradually widen your child’s jaw and palate, allowing room for their adult teeth to grow in normally or to correct jaw misalignment. Every orthodontic expander is custom-made to fit the natural palate.
A palatal expander is required if your child has severe crowding, a crossbite or impacted teeth that will worsen as they develop. If your child’s teeth are crowded before all of their adult teeth have erupted, widening their jaw with an expander may lessen the need for tooth extractions or braces later on in life. Crowding also affects how well your child is able to brush and floss their teeth.
How Does a Palatal Expander Work
A palatal expander applies gradual pressure to widen the space in your child’s mouth over a 3-12 month period. It is attached to the upper jaw against the palate and held in place with wires around the back molars.
The appliance has two halves that are connected in the middle with a screw. A special key is used to turn the screw a very small amount (less than one millimeter) each day. This creates tension where the two palatal bones connect, causing them to gradually move apart. Once the desired expansion is achieved, the appliance is left in for a few more months to allow new bone to form in the gap and stabilize the jaw.
Palatal expansion can be used to treat the following issues:
- Correcting a crossbite. If your child has a narrow palate, their upper teeth can bite down inside the lower teeth, which may lead to the lower jaw’s asymmetrical growth.
- Eliminating or reducing overcrowding. Palatal expanders can make more space for your child’s upper teeth as they grow, reducing crowding.
- Improving breathing ability. Children with narrow or deep palates can have trouble breathing, especially while they sleep. Jaw expansion can increase space for air and clear their airway. Some children with sleep apnea can be good candidates for palate expansion.
Why are Expanders recommended for Children
Palatal expanders are typically recommended when the patient is young (before the teen years) because the treatment provides more room for new teeth. The palate has two halves that do not fuse together until adulthood.
The space between the sections can be gradually moved apart to encourage more bone to grow between those halves, making the jaw wider.
What to expect
There can be some soreness or a feeling of pressure for a few minutes after the key is turned. However, expanders usually don’t cause much pain.
Your child may find that eating and speaking feels different at first as the tongue adjusts to the feeling of the appliance. It is also completely normal to see a gap develop between the front teeth. This shows that it is working. When treatment with the expander is complete, your child’s permanent teeth will be beautifully aligned with the correct amount of space between them.
For a free consult, reach our office at 306-653-3955 or book an appointment below.
Stephenson Orthodontics
301 The Tower at Midtown
201 1st Ave South
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
S7K 1J5
