One of the
most commonly used appliances in our practice is a Palatal Widening Device
(AKA: expander). This appliance is a thin bar with a small screw in the middle
that can be turned in order to widen the arms of the appliance. We can connect
this appliance to the upper first molars, and in some cases if a child needs
treatment very early, we can connect this appliance to the upper primary second
molars. We teach our patients to take ownership and personal responsibility of
their appliance not only by keeping their expander clean, but by teaching them
how to “turn” their appliance. Turning the expander moves the arms of the
appliance apart to help widen the upper jaw.
This sounds
dramatic, however, it is similar to disarticulating a joint. The roof of our mouth or palate has a suture
running up the middle where our jaws connect. Our upper jaw is really plural;
we have two upper jaws that fuse together after puberty. Thus, we are able to
separate the suture in young children in order to correct certain orthopedic
problems.
The
orthopedic conditions or problems we are able to correct with a Palatal
Widening Device are crossbites of the right or left side, crossbites of both
the right and left side, or anterior crossbites (underbites). We like to see
the upper teeth on the outside of the lower teeth; when the upper teeth are on
the inside of the lower teeth, that is a crossbite. We can also use an expander
if a patient is severely crowded and we need to create more space in order to accommodate
all of the permanent teeth in the dental arches. The Palatal Widening Device
allows us to correct orthopedic conditions for children at early ages before
they are finished growing and developing so that patients can avoid corrective
jaw surgery to correct any orthopedic conditions as adults.
Not all of
our patients need an expander. However, we can determine which patients need
this appliance if they are seen at an early enough age (the American Dental
Association recommends children be seen by an orthodontist at approximately age
seven). If you believe your child may have a crossbite or severe crowding,
bring them in to our office for a complimentary exam and allow our doctors to
give you the information you need to make an informed decision about your
child’s orthodontic care.
Stevie
www.smileteam4u.com
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