Every parent wants their child to have a healthy, beautiful smile. Parents often prepare for their kids to undergo orthodontic treatment to correct their teeth before a dentist ever recommends it. But what if your child has a jaw alignment problem that could make their journey more challenging? When this occurs, your child’s dentist or orthodontist may recommend a palatal expander well before they ever get braces.

If this is the case for your family, don’t fret. The experienced team at PureSmile in Shanghai is here to make your child’s experience with a palatal expander as comfortable and smooth as possible.

What is a Palatal Expander?

The roof of a person’s mouth is called a palate. A palatal expander is a dental appliance that aims to do exactly what its name implies: create room where teeth are overcrowded by widening one’s mouth.

In most cases, it’s best for palatal expanders to be utilized during childhood when the patient’s mouth is continuing to grow and is more malleable. At this stage, a child’s mouth can be easily corrected to prevent difficult orthodontic problems from progressing, such as a crossbite.

How does Palatal Expansion Work?

The palate consists of two halves that don’t fuse completely together until adulthood. A palatal expander can gradually move the section between these two halves apart. Additional bone forms between them and causes the jaw to be wider.

Ideally, palatal expansion is accomplished when a child is around eight years old. At this point, their mouths are still growing and the fusion of their palate is not complete.

Palatal expanders are typically worn anywhere from six to 12 months. This timing will vary depending on the condition of your child’s mouth and their unique orthodontic needs.

What are the Benefits?

In many ways, a palatal expander can be the foundation on which a child’s orthodontic journey will be built. For this reason, it’s very common for orthodontists to recommend palatal expanders for children.

Some concerns that a dentist or orthodontist may identify that leads them to recommend a palatal expander for your child include:

• Overcrowding
• Underbite
• Crossbite
• Difficulty breathing
• Narrow smile

Ultimately, a palatal expander can be highly effective at ensuring that your child’s upper and lower jaw fit together properly. This can improve how they speak, eat, and breathe in addition to ensuring they can achieve a beautiful smile with braces when the time comes.

What to Expect with a Palatal Expander

Palatal expanders are relatively low maintenance. However, there are a few critical steps that parents and children must take to ensure that the treatment is effective and to keep their teeth healthy during the expansion process.

Palatal expanders are able to widen a patient’s mouth with the help of a special key. This key cranks the device and gradually pushes the two halves apart little by little over time. Your child’s orthodontist will give the device its first crank. Then, it will be the parent’s responsibility to do so at home as frequently as the orthodontist recommends. Here’s a picture of the special key.

While this may seem like a daunting task to many parents, it’s important to know that this is a pain-free process for your child. It gets easier the more you do it!

Likewise, keeping the palatal expander clean is essential to preventing tooth decay during your child’s treatment process. It’s very important that your child brush and floss thoroughly twice a day. A proxy brush or water flosser may also be useful to remove food particles from the crevices of the device as well.

To learn more about how a palatal expander could benefit your child or to schedule an appointment, contact the friendly team at PureSmile today! We look forward to helping your little one keep their smile healthy and beautiful for years to come!