Palatal expanders – what are they and how do they help your child?

As your child is growing up, it is obvious to wonder about the world of orthodontics. You might be rushing to book an appointment with your Farmington orthodontist so that he can suggest the further plan of action given the condition of your child’s teeth. You might be ready to take up Farmington braces, which is the standard method of straightening the teeth for your child, but sometimes braces is not everything that they need. Your Farmington orthodontist might go for an additional support – a palatel expander – to transform your child’s smile.

You will find a lot of children wearing expanders before taking up braces. These expanders are common in adolescents too. If you have taken an orthodontic treatment in the past, you might even have had one for yourself too. Let us explore more about these expanders in detail here.

What is an expander?

A palate expander is an orthodontic tool used to widen the palate of a person. The palate is nothing but the root of the mouth, which is also referred to as maxilla. Whether your child needs an expander will depend upon the condition of the teeth. Some children need them, some don’t. You can talk to your orthodontist to know the plan of action for your child.

When it come to the oral health, everyone is unique and each child will need a customized plan to treat the teeth. Naturally, children with a narrow palate face a lot of other problems in life and thus, when you take your child to your Farmington orthodontist for the first time, he would add the palatel expanders to make more room in the mouth. This will help even the permanent teeth to thrive and aids in correcting the alignment issues as well.

You would definitely want to know the way palatel expanders work. They are fixed into the mouth and they work by applying pressure to the palate until it reaches the desired expansion. The treatment can last anywhere from three to twelve months, depending on the usage, the current palate of your child and the opinion of the expert. Once the room is created, the orthodontist will continue with the same treatment plan.

You can find a number of palatel expanders for kids and your orthodontist will show you the number of expanders available at his disposal. While choosing any expander, you should see the effectiveness of the expander along with the effectiveness of the same. After all, you cannot put such devices in your child’s mouth again and again.

For more information about Farmington braces, you can reach out to us. We will be glad to assist you.