Expander
In some cases a palatal expander is needed to give your child enough space for their adult teeth to erupt in a better position and help correct misaligned bites, particularly cross-bites. This is most effective on children aged 7-13 years. A palatal expander is a common orthodontic device used to create more space in your child’s mouth by gradually widening the upper palate, after which we’ll straighten them with braces at the right time.
Book A Free Consult
*Private health rebates apply
Palatal expanders can be effective in:
- Providing more space for the adult teeth to erupt.
- Significantly reducing the need to extract healthy adult teeth for braces.
- Reducing the time needed in braces.
- Improving airways and breathing.
- Improving facial aesthetics.
- Avoiding more costly and invasive treatments.
Crossbite
If any of your child’s upper teeth bite on the inside of the lower teeth, your child may have a cross bite. Cross-bites cause long term damage to teeth. They can be corrected by using an expander.
Crowding
Even before all of a child’s adult teeth come in, we can tell when there will not be enough room to accommodate them. If your child’s teeth are crowding, widening the upper jaw can create the necessary space and may reduce the need for tooth extraction later.
Impacted Teeth
When a tooth hasn’t erupted yet and is blocked by other teeth, widening the upper jaw can allow it to erupt into a healthier position. This most often happens with canine teeth. Waiting can cause damage to the roots of adult teeth that cannot be repaired and may require invasive surgery to get the teeth to erupt.
How It Works
Step 1
Consultation
Come in for a FREE consultation, X-rays and photos included (normally $297) to determine if you require an expander.
*Private health rebates may apply.
Step 2
Expander
If an expander is recommended, you can get one for just $1,390 or from $17 per week.
Now that’s affordable and convenient.
Step 3
Broader Smiles
There are a few simple appointments to get the process started:
- We place some rubber spacers between the teeth to make room for the bands. This can be done immediately after the consultation.
- Next, a band size is chosen and an impression taken.
- The expander is then custom made and fitted.
- The expander is gently turned at home to activate the expansion.
- The plate is then left in place for several months to stabilise before getting braces at the appropriate time in the future.
Pricing
Single Pay
$1,590
Payment Plan
from $20 per week
- We offer flexible interest-free financing.
- Convenient weekly payments.
