Immediate Orthodontic Measures
Should a bracket or band remain anchored to the wire, secure it with orthodontic wax if discomfort arises. If detachment occurs, bring the piece to your upcoming dental visit. Refrain from attaching headgear or rubber bands to any dislodged bands. Consult with our orthodontic team during your next visit to confirm if additional appointment scheduling is required.
Adapting to a Palatal Expander
Adjusting to a new palatal expander might be challenging at first. Here’s what you might experience initially:
- A noticeable difference in speech, potentially lasting up to a week.
- An increase in saliva production and some difficulty with eating or swallowing, usually improving within a couple of days.
- A sensation of pressure in your mouth or nose area when the expander is adjusted.
- A feeling of soreness on the tongue.
- Gaps may form between your front teeth, indicating the expander is functioning.
- Your bite alignment might feel unusual.
- The expander is typically kept in place for half a year post-adjustment to ensure the treatment’s stability and to promote healing. It’s possible to start fitting partial braces in this period to progress with teeth alignment.
Adjusting the Palatal Expander
For the adjustment of your child’s palatal expander, follow these steps:
- Position your child lying down, ensuring adequate lighting for visibility.
- Encourage your child to tilt their head back and open their mouth to the fullest extent.
- Insert the adjustment key into the expander’s central slot and gently rotate towards the back of the mouth until it can no longer move and the next notch is visible.
- Gently extract the key by moving it downwards and backwards, being cautious not to reverse the adjustment.
- The expander should be adjusted once daily unless advised otherwise.
- In case of any looseness or detached parts of the expander, cease adjustments and get in touch with our clinic immediately.