There’s a long laundry list of things we need to explain to children when it comes to their healthcare — things like vaccinations, blood draws, and dental work. Now you’ve added a palatal expander to the list.
A great way to explain any type of healthcare, including preventive or preparatory dental care like orthodontic appliances, is to understand it for yourself so you can choose which bits of information will resonate best with your child.
To that end, the team here at Willow Glen Dental Specialists pulled together some key information on palate expansion so that you’re armed for any questions your child might have.
A palatal expander is a device we place in the roof of your child’s mouth that gently and gradually pushes the palate apart so the teeth in their upper jaw have room to come in without being crowded.
Teeth overcrowding is a growing problem in the human population as jaws are shrinking. In addition, many people have malocclusion, meaning the jaws and teeth are misaligned. In fact, the World Health Organization reports that the prevalence of malocclusion is 56%.
So, why does more than half of the global population have teeth that aren’t lining up well? In short, it’s because we’ve moved from hunter gatherers to an agricultural existence, and we no longer need all of our teeth.
This is why there are so many issues with wisdom teeth when they come in — humans don’t really need these third molars to grind food since our food is already processed. As a result, our jaws are slowly shrinking, yet we still have the same number of teeth coming in and there's often not enough room.
With a palate expander, our goal is to make your child’s upper jawbone roomy enough for all of their teeth when they come in, which is why we typically place an expander during their younger years — usually around the ages of 7-9.
So, we’ve supplied you with some background about teeth crowding that can go a long way toward helping your child to understand why they need a palatal expander.
While you know your child best, we suggest that you include these talking points:
It might also be a great idea to point out that a palatal expander will greatly improve their smile by allowing their teeth to line up straight.
Again, you know what will resonate best with your child. From where we stand, we’ve often found that making them part of the process can help make them an active and willing participant. And, of course, we can help with that and fully explain palate expansion to them during their visits with us.
If you have more questions about palatal expanders and how to get your child on board, we’re here to help. Simply contact our office in San Jose, California, by calling 408-478-9081 or you can request an appointment using our online form.
