Your child’s mouth is in a constant state of development. Sometimes, trauma, bad dental care, or oral health issues can lead to alignment and bite problems. It’s important to address these, and their dentist may recommend a palate expander. You’ll find all the details about this solution below to ensure your child develops a healthy smile.

A Parent’s Guide to Palate Expanders

What Are They?

Palate expanders are custom-designed plates that fit over several of your child’s teeth. A series of wires create tension to expand the palatal bones that are contributing to teeth crowding and bite problems. As new bone forms, your child’s palate will expand to a healthy, natural position. The process takes between three to six months.

What Do They Resolve?

Palate expanders primarily resolve crossbites. This issue occurs when a child’s upper palate develops too small. The back teeth will fit inside rather than outside the lower teeth. This can result in speech issues, difficulty chewing, pain, breathing issues, and other problems.

Small palates often don’t create enough space for all of your child’s teeth to come in. As they push, they’ll eventually cause other teeth to shift from their proper place. This can result in a crooked, crowded smile. Teeth can also become impacted if there’s no room to erupt. A custom palate expander can resolve all of these problems.

How Do You Prevent Future Issues?

Once your child’s teeth are in the proper place, it’s important for them to practice healthy dental care habits. They should be brushing and flossing at least twice a day. Significant decay can lead to infections and tooth loss. It may also interfere with how future teeth erupt into position. Try to reduce sugar, soda, acidic foods, and other unhealthy options from your child’s diet, and make sure they see the dentist at least twice a year.

If your child is dealing with alignment problems, contact Alaska Dentistry for Kids. This Anchorage practice is led by Dr. Chris Coplin and offers a wide scope of services. Dr. Coplin specializes in pediatric and special needs dentistry. He’ll take every step to build healthy dental care habits and resolve existing issues. Call (907) 274-2525 to schedule an appointment, and visit their website to learn more about the practice. You can connect on Facebook or more dental care tips.