At Clauss Orthodontics, we believe that a patient can’t really make an informed decision without learning all the facts and options available. One of the major orthodontic tools for helping achieve a brand new smile is the palate expander. It’s a great choice for patients who want to get an early start on their oral health. If you want to know how a palatal expander can improve your smile, here’s the place to learn everything you need to know about these commonly used appliances.
What Is a Palate Expander?
A palate expander is an orthodontic appliance that widens the upper jaw. It makes the jaw bone larger to create more space for your permanent teeth. Palatal expanders also fix discrepancies between the upper and lower jaws to keep your bite in proper, more healthy alignment.
Sometimes, patients will need palatal expanders prior to more comprehensive orthodontic treatment with braces or aligners. This may be because more space is needed to alleviate crowding or a jaw discrepancy exists.
How Does a Palate Expander Work?
Your palate is actually made up of two separate bones joined by a seam down the middle. An expander applies steady, gentle outward pressure to those two halves, and over several weeks the seam widens and new bone fills in the space. The result is a broader upper arch with room for teeth to settle where they belong.
A palate expander can work in a few different ways, and there are different types of expanders available to patients depending on treatment needs.
Fixed Palatal Expander
The fixed palatal expander, also called the rapid palatal expander (RPE), is a system of bands attached to the back molars. A fixed palatal expander connects high in the center of the roof of the mouth via a screw and comes with a key. Since your palate is actually composed of two separate bones, each half of the expander is connected to one. When you turn the key to activate the device, the space between your palatal bones widens a tiny bit. Your orthodontist will give you a special key with instructions on how and when to use it to rotate the screw, based on your individual needs.
Removable Palate Expander
Removable palatal expanders are a great option for patients who only need minor jaw corrections. They are removable appliances that look similar to a clear aligner tray with a screw in the center. Even though they are removable, they should be worn twenty-four hours a day, except when eating and brushing. Removable palate expanders don’t always require daily activation like permanent appliances, and your orthodontist will provide you with instructions specific to your case.
What Palate Expanders Correct
Palate expanders are an ideal tool for patients who want to get a jump on crowding or jaw width issues. The purpose of an expander is to create room and symmetry along the jaw so that your teeth can grow evenly into place. Palatal expanders can help alleviate issues such as:
Crossbite
A crossbite often occurs because the upper jaw is too narrow to fit properly with the lower jaw. This causes some bottom teeth to bite outside the top teeth. While patients can have an anterior or posterior crossbite, a palate expander is typically needed to fix a posterior crossbite.
Severe Crowding
Crowding results in rotations and overlapping of the teeth due to a general lack of space. A properly used palatal expander can help widen the jaw, thus creating more space to fit the permanent teeth. This can minimize future crowding and may help avoid the need for future permanent tooth extraction.
Impacted Teeth
Crowding or lack of space can block a permanent tooth’s path, preventing it from properly erupting. When a tooth is prevented from erupting, it becomes impacted. This is most commonly seen with canine teeth, or eye teeth. A palate expander can help create enough space for the impacted tooth to erupt on its own, thus avoiding more invasive intervention.
Sleep Apnea
Besides crowding issues, palatal expanders can help ease sleep apnea symptoms. Sleep apnea is a sleeping disorder that interrupts your breathing patterns while you sleep. By realigning your jaw, palate expanders help open up the airways to the patient’s breathing passage to allow better, more consistent sleeping cycles. Sleep apnea patients require a team approach to treatment that includes a medical sleep specialist as well as the orthodontist.
Who Is a Good Candidate for a Palate Expander?
Palate expanders can be effective tools for both older and younger patients alike. Expansion is most straightforward in younger patients, but palatal expanders can still be a great option for adults looking to align their smile.
Before puberty the palate has not yet fused, so the two halves separate readily under gentle pressure. This is why orthodontists often recommend evaluating children early, while expansion is simplest.
Palate Expanders for Adults
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Getting Your Palate Expander Fitted
Each expander is custom made for your mouth and thus requires a 3D digital scan, no more goopy impressions, to be sent off to the lab for fabrication. Placing the appliance is simple. Our team will carefully prepare your teeth and take extra care when placing the expander by cementing it to your back molars for a fixed expander, or adjusting the clips for a removable expander. After your palate expander has been properly fitted, your orthodontist will provide instructions on how and how often to activate the appliance as well as tips and tricks for daily care and living with your expander.
Talk to Your Watertown and Middlebury Orthodontist
If you’re considering whether palatal expansion is right for you or your child, our experienced team at Clauss Orthodontics is here to help. We would be happy to discuss your specific needs and design a treatment plan to address them.
If you or someone you love is considering orthodontic treatment, stop by our offices in Watertown and Middlebury. If you have any more questions, schedule your free consultation with Dr. Clauss today.