Prop her head up on a pillow so that her chin is up in the air. She is probably sensing your nervousness so reassure her that you know what you are doing. An upper jaw expander stretches the bone and cartilage of the palate in order to expand a growing child's arch and prevent crowding and cross bites.

When it is turned every day for a month, you have achieved 6 mm of upper jaw expansion. Once it is in the hole give it a firm push to the back. Lower arches can also be expanded when teeth are crowded, but the function of a lower expander is different than that of the upper.

Other than that, unfortunately, you just have to wait until its over.

While you can turn your expander yourself, it’ll be trickier to see the inside of your mouth. My orthodontist's office apparently does not have an answering service and apparently cuts out early on Fridays!!!!! What do I do? Whether your child has traditional braces or expanders, a regular routine of oral care is important. take her back to the office, let the ORTHODONTIST, not the staff show you how to do this very important procedure. Maybe they could meet you there at the office, that's what they did for us.

You can sign in to vote the answer. ? it will make very little difference in the out come of the case if you wait a few days to see them.

Ask a parent or other adult to turn the key, if possible. How do I turn my daughter's palate expander? Milkshakes are the best option because you can suck them up easily and they numb your teeth a little. Learn more about our commitment to oral health education.

This is because the upper jaw is still malleable at this age to adapt quickly to orthodontic treatment. I have the key, and I asked the orthodontist exactly how to hold it, thought I understood how to put it in the small hole, turn toward the uvula until the next hole appears, etc. Have you tried eating an apple with no teeth? As expansion takes place, you may notice a gap form between your child's two front teeth; this indicates that the palate is actually expanding rather than the teeth just tipping outward.

This pressure causes an increased amount of bone to grow between the right and left …

I had that problem too.

Contact me if you have any questions. If you let go and the key falls out then you do not have it engaged in the hole all the way. For either process to be safe and effective, there needs to be enough bone and gum tissue around the roots of the teeth. Removing a tooth as a part of orthodontic treatment is one solution, but an upper or lower jaw expander can make room for your child's permanent teeth without extraction. Colgate Reaches Children in Need Across the Globe With the Power of a Bright Smile.

According to orthodontist Dr. Greg Jorgensen , successful palatal expansion treatment is done before the child's growth plate or midpalatal suture fuses – usually between ages 14 and 16.