Can adults get palate expanders?

Palate expanders for adults can be used as an alternative to upper jaw surgery to widen a narrow jaw. This allows permanent teeth to relieve crowding, erupt safely, and create a more wider and beautiful smile. This will also help to match the lower teeth to the upper teeth.

What are palate expanders?

It is a type of oral device used to remedy several dental conditions. Orthodontic expanders and palatal expanders are also the names of this device. To slowly expand the mouth’s roof, palate expanders are used.

This is used more commonly in pre-adolescent children but it can also be used in teens and in adults. According to orthodontic experts, a palate expander is used to correct the narrow upper jaw or crossbite of your child.

What do palate expanders treat?

Several dental issues can be lead due to a narrow palate. Most of them are related to the idea that your teeth can’t be accommodated because your mouth is not large enough. An affordable orthodontist will always tell you this:

1. Crowding: To make your mouth larger and eliminating the need to extract permanent teeth, palate expansion can be used. That means your mouth is not large enough that it can accommodate your teeth.

2. Impacted teeth: A tooth that has formed beneath the gum is said to be impacted teeth. But to break through the surface it doesn’t have enough surface. If you want to make the necessary space then you have to widen the jaw. This most happens where palate expanders are concerned.

3. Cleft palate: If a patient has this condition then they have to undergo corrective procedures to have their palates widened.

4. Crossbite: The main cause due to which a crossbite occurs is the improper alignment of the upper and lower jaw. Your teeth are not aligned properly and it may lead you to bite problems.

5. Breathing problems: In the nasal passages, a narrow jaw can block airflow. Which may lead to conditions like sleep apnea. To open these passages and improve breathing you need to widen the jaw.

Different types of palate expanders

With your orthodontist, you want to try several types of palatal expanders. To give you an idea of the general variations, the following list covers several popular devices.

Schwartz appliance- This type of expander requires regular cranking with a key. Schwartz expander is removable. It should be worn for 24 hours a day, except when you are brushing teeth, playing sports, swimming, or while eating too. Around lower or upper teeth this device can also be worn.

Rapid palatal expander- This is a traditional palatal expander. Haas and hyrax expanders are also part of rapid palatal expanders. This process is sometimes known as rapid maxillary expansion.

Quad helix palate expander- It does not require any cranking. It is used to widen the back or front jaw. The palate is curved to push the teeth outward to expand it. This expander is slower as compared to the rapid palatal expander. But it is smaller than the W arch expander.