Palate Expander Before And After: Complete Guide
What is plate expander and its purpose
Palate expander is a orthodontic device, which is used to widen the upper palate. It is also known as orthodontic expander or palate expander. This expander consists of a part that is fixed or removable, used according to the treatment plan. The main usage of this expander is to solve the problems related to jaws or skeleton, help in the alignment of misaligned jaw.
The palate expander help to widen the upper dental arch in a controlled manner, this help in the proper alignment of the upper and the lower teeth. The main function of the expander is to apply gentle pressure on the upper palate, this will help to create more space in the upper jaw.
Purpose of palate expander
Following are the main purpose of using Palate expander.
Correct crowding
These expander help in the alignment of over crowded teeth, and prevent from the crooked and misaligned teeth.
Resolving cross bites
These expanders help in the correction of the cross bites, they help incorrect placement of the upper jaw teeth into the lower jaw teeth while biting.
Importance of before and after palate expanders
The before and after evaluation of the Palate expander is of great importance, through this evaluation we get to know about the impact that treatment has made. Some of the important points that are evaluated before and after the treatment are discussed below.
Treatment evaluation
Evaluating the Palate before and after the treatment is of great importance. By this you will get to know that how much this method is effective. This is basically the evaluation of the achievement of goals that were set, the teeth alignment and the jaw expansion is evaluated in this step.
Proper documentation
It is very important to create proper documents before and after the treatment. It can help enhance the confidence of the patient by showing them the improvements that appear in their upper jaw.
Treatment planning
It is very important to plan the treatment according to before and after evaluation of the upper jaw. This will help to begin the improvement in the final results.
Helping patient to understand
This is before and after evaluation help patient to understand the improvement that has been made in their upper jaw. This will help patient to know about the visual changes that has occurred. Showing the before and after results to the patient will help to satisfy the patient.
Before Palate Expander
Before going for palate expander procedure it is very important that complete assessment and evaluation of the oral cavity should be done. Following are the steps that should be followed.
Initial examination of oral cavity
Before the process of application of expanded starts, dentists completely examine the oral cavity of the patient. it is very important to see that any gum infection or teeth infection is present or not. The dentist mainly evaluate the gums, cavities and tooth decay.
Orthodontic evaluation
After the completion of initial evaluation of the oral cavity, now it is time to perform orthodontic evaluation of the oral cavity. In this type of evaluation dentist notice the alignment of teeth, bite And crowding of the teeth. In this regard X-rays are taken of the oral cavity, which helped dentist to completely evaluate the oral cavity.
Explaining procedure to the patient
After the evaluation of the oral cavity is completed. Orthodontist explain the whole procedure to the patient or guardians, if the patient is feeling any kind of stress. In this explanation procedure he deeply explained the procedure of application, the time that treatment takes, and the adjustments that are made according to patient. It is very important to explain the whole procedure to the patient and family of the patient, so that they can actively take part and make proper decision.
Taking initial measurements
To create custom palate expander, Orthodontist take initial measurements of the patient. This involves usage of mold or scanning technology to get the size and the shape off the expander. The initial measurements act as base that help in proceeding of the whole procedure. This helps to get the best and the optimal results.
Application of Palate expander
Application of the palate expander is the main purpose of this treatment and following steps are involved in the application of palate expander.
Attachment mechanism
After the formation of custom fit expanders, the next step is the attachment of that expanded in the upper jaw of oral cavity. there are two types of expander, the first one is fixed and the other one is removable. The type of palate expander used depends upon the treatment plan of the patient.
Adjustment of expander
Once the expanded has installed within the oral cavity it is very important to make their adjustment according to the upper jaw. The perfect adjustment and activation is done to get the desired expansion of the palate.
Instructions related to activation
The patients and his guardians receive instructions for the activation of expanders. It is clearly instructed to them the time of activation of the expander, the expander is activated using a key or screw. The schedule of activating of the expander depends upon the trial of treatment they choose, mostly the expanders are activated once a day.
Monitoring process
After the expanded or successfully applied in the upper jaw, they are monitored by the orthodontist. Regular check up sessions are planned to monitor the expanders, This is done to check any type of issues and to adjust the expanded according to need.
Monitoring is one of the most critical and most important step during the application and using the palate expanders. It involves the full clinical examination of the oral cavity during this whole process.
Specially, X-rays are taken to monitor the visual changes that are occurring in the skeleton. Patients are encouraged to provide feedback after watching the visual changes in the X-rays and other scanning results. Several changes were made, after monitoring the progress of the expanders. During this whole process the orthodontist keep in contact with the patient and guardians to provide them any treatment timeline what changes that are necessary. This communication is very important for the success full usage of palate expander.
Palate expander before and after comparison
The before and after comparison of the palate expander is very important in successful treatment plans. this not only satisfies the patient but also it increases the confidence level of the orthodontist that he is getting results from his treatment plans.
Visual changes in palate
Following are the visual changes that occur after the completion of this treatment.
Dental alignment
The before and after comparison will help you to let you know about the improvement in the alignment of the teeth. To change the teeth alignment the X-rays are taken before and after the treatment and compared.
Palatal width
The before and after pictures of the palate will help you to know about the changes that has occurred in the oral cavity.
Improvement in smile
This procedure will help in the improvement of the smile of the patient. The patient itself will notice this result that will prove the success of this procedure.
Functional improvement
After the visual improvements the patient will also notice the functional improvement in his oral cavity.
- Before this treatment the patient feel difficulty in chewing and talking, but after the palate expander treatment is completely, he will feel the difference in chewing and talking.
- It is also used to treat the issues related to the breathing difficulty. Before and after comparison will allow patient to feel the difference in breathing patterns, as it solves the breathing difficulty issue.