Note when dilating the jaw for children

Jaw dilation for children with braces is a method of orienting and affecting the jaw bone structure. The technique of dilating the jaw also helps to prevent misaligned bites, thereby protecting the oral health of children.

Jaw dilation is recommended for children who are in the development period, before puberty. This is considered a special time in human development. The dilation of the jaw during this period will help positively affect the jaw, preventing malocclusion more easily.
The top jaw of the palate in children is not fully formed until puberty. Therefore, dentists can take advantage of this time to expand the jaw when braces for children to increase jaw size.
Children from 7 to 10 years old or under 16 years old is the right time to apply the technique of dilatation in orthodontic treatment.
According to dentists, once it has been identified that there is a problem with the palate or bite, it should be treated early. However, children 5 years of age and younger cannot yet have this treatment.

Jaw expander for children when braces are placed in the roof of the upper jaw. It is activated with a key, which only needs to be squeezed 1 or 2 times per day to increase the pressure on the jaw muscles, through which the palatine bone is separated.
When the child's jawbone is enlarged, there will be a space between the two front teeth. To overcome this situation, the dentist will conduct braces for the child.

Jaw dilation for children when orthodontic has the effect of preventing crowded and misaligned teeth. By dilating the jaw for children with braces, it will adjust the face joints to be more balanced, eliminating many dental problems. Specifically, dilating the jaw in orthodontic treatment for children brings the following benefits:
Avoiding crowded teeth: Because the small jaw arch makes teeth crowded, when children replace baby teeth, permanent teeth will not be available. enough space to grow naturally. Therefore, it leads to misaligned, crowded and improperly positioned teeth. This not only affects the aesthetics, but also makes it difficult to get braces. Correction of Crossbites: Crossbites are very common in many adults. The main cause of this condition is that few people pay attention to early orthodontic treatment, and by adulthood, the upper jaw is narrow, causing facial imbalance. Improves breathing ability: Breathing through the nose will also be more difficult when the roof of the mouth is narrow. At that time, children will form a habit of breathing through the mouth, easy for dirt, bacteria to enter the mouth, leading to dry mouth, bad breath and susceptibility to respiratory diseases. Improve children's smiles: Dilating children's jaws with braces will help improve the balance of the facial structure, increasing the overall aesthetics. This will bring confidence and have a positive impact on the child's personality as they grow up.

The instrument will be fixed to the molars in the upper jaw. In stages, the two palatal bones will be gradually pushed apart, then the soft tissues fill in and the jaw arch is enlarged.

The removable jaw is designed in stainless steel, this tool can be disassembled. Wearing this type of device requires more discipline, so the target audience is usually older children (about to go through puberty). Although the removable jaw has the advantage of making it easy for the wearer to clean, it usually only applies to cases where the jaw needs to be opened to a small extent.

Besides wearing an instrument to dilate the jaw, it is possible to use supportive surgery by making multiple cuts in the jawbone. The orthodontist will then use dental braces and screws to divide the upper jaw into movable parts. New bone will be formed between these sections after surgery.
This method is considered a combination of orthodontics with orthopedic surgery. Adjuvant surgery is indicated when the dilator does not achieve the desired results.

Getting used to a dilator in a child's mouth can be more difficult than it is for adults. However, the uncomfortable feeling when turning the key to dilate the jaw is said to be insignificant, lasting only a few minutes. It is rarely necessary to use pain relievers in children.
Most children do not understand why they have to wear the device in their mouth, making play activities uncomfortable. Some children even secretly open their jaws with braces, so it's essential to encourage them during the procedure.
Oral hygiene when dilating children's jaw is important during orthodontic treatment. Jaw expanders need to be cleaned at the same time when children brush their teeth and rinse their mouths.

When performing routine expansion of the jaw expander, parents need to be careful not to let the key fall into the child's throat. The best way is to make a chain to put the key in your hand, to help prevent unfortunate situations from happening.
Besides, you also need to pay attention to oral hygiene care for children. Food plaques are easy to get stuck in tools, potentially generating bacteria that are harmful to the teeth. Therefore, children wearing dentures should brush their teeth regularly with toothpaste along with daily antibacterial mouthwash.