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What is an expander?

April 26, 2017expander

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What is an expander?

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An expander is a palatal spreading device. If there is lack of bone growth in the upper (maxillary) arch, the expander is used to aid in development of proper arch form. Even though it sounds pretty drastic, surprisingly enough, it is a simple device. Since the upper jaw is joined in the middle by the palatal suture, this device helps to open this suture and create more room in the upper arch. This suture is wide open in children, thus not much discomfort results from using this appliance.