One of the biggest benefits of getting your child evaluated for orthodontic treatment in childhood is the ability to take advantage of the fact that they are still growing! Early childhood orthodontic treatment can help prevent something called malocclusions, which is the misalignment of the upper and lower jaws. Palatal expanders are a great appliance to help us do that!
Expanders help us create more space in a patient’s mouth by gradually expanding the upper jaw. Sounds scary–but it’s not! The biggest reason we like to take advantage of this in early childhood is because the upper jaw is made up of two separate bones that start to fuse together around adolescence. Before that happens, we can utilize the two halves by separating them to expand a narrow palate.
There are 3 main reasons why an expander may be recommended for early orthodontic treatment:
- Crossbite. A crossbite is when the upper arch is too narrow for the lower arch. The top teeth sit inside of the bottom teeth. An expander can help resolve this situation by expanding the top teeth to sit outside the bottom teeth.
- Crowding. Sometimes even before patients get all of their adult teeth, we can tell they will not have enough room in their mouth. An expander can help create some more space for all the adult teeth. This can also lessen the amount of time they would need in treatment later.
- Impacted teeth. When a tooth hasn’t come in yet and may be obstructed by another tooth, widening the upper arch would benefit the patient by creating space for that tooth to erupt in the correct position. This is most common with the canines.
How Expanders Work:
Expanders are custom made for each patient. They are glued onto the first molars on the upper jaw and have arms running along the teeth on the side. On the very roof of the mouth will be a latch; this is how the appliance is activated. Each expander comes with a key, once or twice daily, the key is inserted into the lock and turned. Each turn gradually expresses some activation in the arms that help to widen the jaw.
Once the expansion is done, we will lock the expander in place and leave it for a few months to allow the bone to form around the new arch. Usually, expanders are used for 4-6 months.
What To Expect
It is completely normal to experience slight discomfort and soreness with an expander, especially after a turn has been completed. Patients also may find it hard to speak normally for a while because their tongue is touching the expander instead of the roof of their mouth. It is also completely normal to see a gap form between the front two teeth–in fact, we love to see that! It means the expander is working. Don’t worry-we will close the gap once the expander is removed and braces are on.