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When it comes to your child’s dental health, you want to monitor their teeth as early as possible. With devices such as a dental palate expander, you can take advantage of the natural growth of your child’s jaw to create a beautiful, long-lasting smile.
When you choose Owens Orthodontics, you receive high-quality professional service from our experienced staff. With a warm environment and personalized treatment, you can be confident your child will have a positive experience while creating a healthy smile.
A dental expander consists of two mental halves connected in the middle with a screw. Dr. Owens or Dr. Baker will attach the palate expander to your child’s upper back molars. Each day you or your child will turn the screw with a special key to cause the device and your child’s upper jaw to expand.
By using a palate expander, Dr. Owens and Dr. Baker can correct your child’s bite or jaw alignment issues. Many patients receive a palate expander because their mouth is too small for their teeth to emerge. Some additional reasons your child may need an orthodontic expander include:
As with any dental device, your child may experience some discomfort when adjusting the dental palate expander, but this discomfort will quickly pass. Your child may also need to adapt to eating and speaking with the upper jaw expander at first.
It is essential that your child brushes and flosses their teeth after meals to keep the upper palate expander clean of bacteria and food. Your child should also avoid eating sticky food or those that create a lot of debris, such as carrots. If your child receives a removable expander, they should still clean their device twice daily to maintain a healthy smile.
At Owens Orthodontics, our goal is to help your child improve their smile while creating lasting, positive associations with orthodontic care. Our warm, inviting office will make your child excited to practice good oral health and care for their smile throughout their life.