Palatal Expanders

When a child's upper jaw is too narrow to fit correctly with the lower jaw, the back top teeth will bite inside of the lower teeth instead of outside. This can be corrected by expanding the upper jaw.

Snoring and breathing problems in children often go unnoticed or get brushed off as regular sleep habits. However, persistent snoring, mouth breathing, or restless sleep may point to underlying airway issues that can affect your child's development. 

A narrow upper jaw can limit the size of the nasal cavity, causing children to breathe through their mouths instead. Mouth breathing, especially at night, can cause snoring, dry mouth, and interrupted sleep. Overtime poor sleep quality can lead to problems with focus, behavior, and growth.

A palatal expander increases the upper jaw's width, opening the nasal airway. This improved airflow allows children to breathe through their noses more easily, reducing snoring and promoting more profound, more restful sleep.

Breathing and sleep are essential for your child's wellbeing. If you're concerned about snoring or other airway issues, now is the time to act. Schedule an appointment today to see how a palatal expander can help your child sleep and breathe better - day and night.

Even before all of a child's permanent (adult) teeth come in, we can tell when there will not be enough room to accommodate them. Widening the upper jaw can create the necessary space without the need for tooth extractions.

When a tooth that hasn't come in (erupted) yet because it is blocked by other teeth, widening the upper jaw can allow it to erupt into proper position on its own. This most often happens with canine or eye teeth — the pointier ones located directly under the eyes.

Expanding the upper jaw has other benefits: It can broaden the smile in an aesthetically pleasing way, it can limit the number of teeth that need to be removed to create space and can also improve breathing. And it can shorten overall orthodontic treatment time (the amount of time your child will need to wear braces). Therefore, early treatment makes a difference.

There can be some soreness or a feeling of pressure for a few minutes after the key is turned, but activating an expander actually causes less discomfort than having braces tightened. Your child may find that speaking and eating feels different at first as the tongue adjusts to the presence of the appliance. It is also completely normal to see a gap develop between the front teeth. This shows that the expander is having the desired effect. When all is said and done, your child's permanent teeth will be beautifully aligned with neither too much nor too little space between them.