Will the treatment be affected if the patient fails to keep the orthodontic expanders in the proper position?

Question

Hello doctor,

I got orthodontic expanders a while ago, but they put pressure on the top of my mouth every time I turned them. So when I went to my orthodontist, they told me not to turn them anymore. Will that affect the treatment?

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

The expanders are given to expand the palate and create sufficient space for teeth eruption and crossbite correction. When we expand using the expanders, we exert pressure on the palatal sutures to separate them and gain the width. However, this separation is gradually filled by the deposition of new bone. When the expanders are rotated, they exert pressure perceived as pain. If the expanders are not turned on, they will not affect the treatment as they will now act as retainers to hold the separation. It will resist the inward tendency of the palate till the time the new bone is formed and expansion is retained. This is a normal procedure where we expand the palate for some time and stop the expansion but keep the expanders at the same place to prevent relapse. Do not worry, as the treatment is going fine. However, make sure you keep them in place to prevent the relapse. Thank you.