When the upper jaw is constricted or narrow, there is most often insufficient room for permanent teeth to erupt. Upper jaw constriction can be caused by finger and/or thumb sucking habits, mouth breathing habits, drinking from sippy cups and baby bottles for too many years, sucking on blankets and more.
Palatal expansion appliances are most effective when children are growing.
Using palatal expansion appliances can help prevent severely crowded teeth, the need for extractions of permanent teeth or jaw surgery, premature wearing of teeth and help change growth vectors to more favourable directions If a palatal expansion appliance is prescribed for your child, you will be shown how to turn the appliance according to a time schedule determined by Dr. Kivity-Chandler. Turning activates the appliance allowing for the slow and comfortable widening of the upper jaw. To find out if palatal expansion would be helpful in correcting your child’s narrow upper jaw, call our office.