Typically, an expander will be in place for about 9 months total time . This may vary from child to child depending on his or her needs.
Is an expander painful?
Are Palatal Expanders Painful? Palatal expanders do not usually cause pain . Some patients, however, experience difficulty in speaking and swallowing for the first few days of treatment.
How long do you turn an expander?
How long will the expander be used? The expander will be turned once every day for six weeks . During this time of activation, you will visit the office every three weeks. If you are unable to keep your appointment, stop turning the expander until your next visit.
What is the best age to get a palate expander?
The ideal age for a child to get a palate expander is when they’re young, around 7 to 8 years old . The palate is forming rapidly, so it’s easier for orthodontists to reshape. The palate structure solidifies as children get older, usually around puberty, making it harder for it to widen.
How much does an expander cost?
The cost of treatment depends on your location and the orthodontist you visit. In most cases, a palate expander costs anywhere between $2000 and $3000 . Since palatal expansion is medically necessary, most insurance plans cover most or all of the treatment costs.
Do expanders change your face?
Additional orthodontic work is sometimes needed in more severe cases. A Herpst appliance or a palatal expander can move the jaw or widen the upper jaw . ... The ultimate result is a new smile and, in most moderate to severe cases, orthodontics change the shape of your face – subtly.
Do expanders give you a lisp?
Most patients have a small lisp when they first get an orthodontic expander . However, it is usually short lived and most patients go back to talking normally very soon. The tongue will quickly adapt to sharing the roof of the mouth with the expander and soon after nobody will be able to hear a difference.
Are expanders really necessary?
When prescribed by your orthodontic professional, a palatal expander is really necessary to correct the bite . For a posterior crossbite in a child, a palatal expander is the Gold Standard for true skeletal correction. Palatal expanders are necessary to correct skeletal jaw discrepancies.
Do you need braces after a palate expander?
Depending on your orthodontic needs, you may or may not require braces after wearing an expander . This is because braces correct the alignment of teeth that are already grown into place, which may not be necessary if an expander creates more space between teeth so teeth can straighten themselves.
Does a palate expander change your nose?
Rapid maxillary expansion produces a significant skeletal transverse expansion of nasal region in growing patients. No significant differences in nasal effects are expected when the appliance is anchored onto deciduous teeth, with or without the palatal acrylic coverage.
Do expanders help breathing?
Many children have narrow upper palates and need to be fitted with a Rapid Palatal Expander (RPE) to expand the upper jaw properly. Numerous reports show that these expanders increase the size of the nasal cavity and improve the patient’s ability to breath through their nose.
Does an expander break your bone?
Precisely, a palate expander breaks the upper mouth’s bone . No matter how scary does it sound, it is true. This reason is why orthodontists avoid elaborating people how palate expander works. An expander’s job is to separate the upper bone’s cartilage and the jawbone to increase the size of the mouth.
Do expanders give you a gap?
Expanders take advantage of the presence of the growth plate if they are used before it is fused. One sign that the expander has actually moved the two halves of the palate apart is the appearance of a space between the front teeth. ... The result is a visible gap between the teeth . This gap is normal and desirable.
Do expanders make your mouth wider?
By using an expander, we can make room for the teeth without the need for extraction. There are different types of expanders. A slow expander tends to focus on making the dental arch wider, while a rapid expander makes the upper jaw itself wider .
How bad do expanders hurt?
Will it Hurt? There will be some discomfort at first , but there will not be a lot of pain. The expander may feel heavy in your mouth at first, since it is something new and different in there. When the palate expander is widened, you may feel some pressure in your mouth and on your tongue.
Can adults expand their palate?
As explained elsewhere on this site, palatal expansion is a simple procedure in children. However, the adult bone structure is set and can no longer undergo expansion unless it is assisted by a surgeon .
