What is a Palatal Expander?
Palatal expanders gently widen a child’s upper jaw by separating its two halves, which are not fully fused until puberty. This orthodontic device, custom-designed for your child’s palate, gradually expands the jaw over several months. It improves breathing, enhances smile aesthetics, and can reduce future braces time by aligning teeth properly.
Palatal expanders are commonly used with the following conditions:
Crossbites
Crossbites occur when a child’s upper jaw is too narrow, causing the top back teeth to bite inside the lower teeth. Expanding the upper jaw corrects this, ensuring proper jaw development and reducing the risk of lower jaw or chin deviation.
Crowding
Crowding occurs when there isn’t enough room for teeth to come in. Widening the upper jaw with an expander creates space for permanent teeth to emerge, often eliminating the need for extractions.
Types of Crowding:
- Mild: One or two teeth overlap or are slightly out of position, noticeable up close.
- Moderate: Several teeth overlap or are misaligned, impeding flossing and trapping food.
- Severe: Teeth tightly packed, making flossing and brushing challenging, immediately noticeable.
Impacted teeth
Impacted teeth are permanent teeth unable to emerge correctly due to obstruction. A palatal expander widens the upper jaw, creating space for the tooth to emerge correctly, often avoiding the need for surgery.
Actual patient treated by Hamilton & Manuele Orthodontics
Schedule Your Appointment
Let Dr. Hamilton and Dr. Manuele determine if this early treatment option is right for your child. Call or text 702-243-3300, or click the button below to schedule an appointment for your child today.
