Usually between about 7 and 12, while the upper jaw is still in two halves that can be guided apart.
Jaw expansion
Gently widening a narrow upper jaw while a child is still growing, to make room for the adult teeth and correct a crossbite.
“Your top jaw needs a bit more room for all your grown-up teeth. This gently makes it a tiny bit wider every day, you will not feel it growing.”
How we explain it
What happens
Step by step
- 1Impressions or a scan are taken and a custom expander is made to fit the upper teeth.
- 2The expander is fitted, and a parent turns a small key in it at home on a schedule, widening it by a fraction of a millimetre at a time.
- 3Once the right width is reached, the expander stays in place for some months while the new bone settles.
What your child will feel
Pressure across the roof of the mouth for a few minutes after each turn, and a lisp for the first few days. A gap opening between the front teeth is normal and closes on its own.
Parents ask