The Palate is the roof of the mouth. A palatal expander is a dental device that widens the palate of a child. Moving the palate is necessary to align the upper teeth and jaw. Since this procedure is only effective until the jaw fully develops, the main candidates of palatal expanders are children. Palate expanders are custom made for each patient according to the palate size and dental arch. Expander for a mouth comes in two forms, fixed and removable, and your orthodontist will recommend which one to use according to your needs and desires.
Types Of Palatal Expanders
There are four common types of palate expanders.
1. Rapid Palatal Expander
These types of palatal expanders are placed on some of the back teeth in the upper jaw using a screw. A rapid palatal expander works when a screw is turned each day to create space between the palatal bones. These expanders can treat crowded teeth, crossbites, and narrow palates.
2. Removal Palatal Expander
In case a patient only needs a minor widening of the jaw, removable palatal expanders will do wonders for them. When you see a removable expander, it will look like an acrylic retainer.
3. Implant-Supported
Young teens usually wear Implant-supported expanders. Patients of this age group require more force to expand the palate because their jaws have been fully developed—this type of expander work with four mini-implants. Instead of the teeth, these implants exert pressure on the maxillary bone, which brings out the required strong forces.
4. Surgical Expanders
Patients who have hit puberty and have a fully developed jaw will need a surgically assisted palate expander to treat various structural issues.
Why Do You Need Mouth Expanders?
Crossbites
Palate expanders can effectively treat crossbites to some extent. A crossbite occurs when the upper and lower teeth are misaligned when a person bites down. If the jaw’s lower teeth are placed away from the upper teeth when a jaw is closed, this is clearly a case of crossbite.
Impacted Teeth
An impacted tooth is the one that is under the pressure of the gums or blocked by the surrounding teeth. If impacted teeth are not extracted on time, they can cause disease and jaw misalignment. Wearing a palatal expander can help create space between the jaw so that the permanent ones can properly erupt.
Crowded teeth
When primary teeth don’t fall on time and remain stuck in the gums, they can eat away the space required by permanent teeth to erupt. If the baby teeth are not removed, they can lead to dental crowding. A palatal expander can help to save the hassle and pain of tooth extractions. The expansion will create space for permanent teeth to grow into correct positions.
Breathing
Expansion of the maxillary bones can also boost breathing abilities and helps prevent dry mouth. Moreover, it is also used to correct Class III orthodontic problems.
For more information on orthodontic expanders, get help from the experts at Pearl Dentistry. To book an appointment, call 713.766.4389.
