Expansion Appliances

Eliminates the need to pull permanent teeth. The main purpose of an expansion appliance is to expand a narrow palate (arch). This appliance is also called a palate expander.

Because children’s bones are still growing, it is possible to modify the shape of the jaw. If the roof of the mouth is narrow and high, widening the arch makes the roof lower and allows more room for all the permanent teeth that will eventually erupt. This appliance can also correct a cross bite.

During an initial examination, we will be able to determine if your child’s upper arch (palate) will be able to accommodate all their permanent teeth without crowding. If not, we may have your child wear an expansion appliance, which will widen their upper jaw. This procedure eliminates the need to remove permanent teeth. Usually this process is followed by braces.

 

How it works. The expansion appliance is an interceptive orthodontic approach that can be used to fix a future problem before the problem becomes an issue.

First, we take moulds of your child’s teeth. Then, we custom-make the appliance to precisely fit a child's palate. This appliance consists of a small expansion screw in the middle of the roof of the mouth and bands on the first molars to hold the appliance in place. The screw is turned a little bit each day or every other day by the child or the parent. This widens the appliance just a little bit, which puts pressure on the sides of the back teeth and palate and widens the arch little by little. The appliance is not removable. By putting pressure from the center of the arch to both sides of the jaw, this appliance slowly separates the joint that runs along the midline of the roof of the mouth. This is painless, although some patients say that their mouth feels itchy. This is due to the gum fibers stretching and expanding.

When the expander has widened the arch to the place that it will accommodate all the permanent teeth, then we will tell you to stop turning the screw. You will still wear the appliance for another four or five months to allow new bone material to form. Treatment length is typically six to twelve months.

It is important to keep the appliance clean, so after eating, swish your mouth out with water, and do not eat anything sticky or chewy.