Sometimes the upper jaw can be too narrow to fit all the teeth in, or it can be too narrow when compared with the lower jaw. An upper expander  will gently widen the upper jaw, creating more space and correcting crossbites.

The upper jaw develops as two separate bones and as we age these two bones join to become one bone. Usually this happens in girls at about 15 years of age and boys at about 17 years of age. If an expander is used for an adult, surgery is needed to separate these bones. The expander works by moving two upper jaws bones apart.

There are two types of maxillary expanders, the Quad Helix and the Rapid Maxillary Expander (Hyrax expander).

Quadhelix

The Quad Helix appliance is attached with bands to the upper back teeth. The Quad Helix will be activated by the orthodontist before insertion.  It may feel a bit tight and uncomfortable initially. This is not uncommon and within a couple of days everything will feel back to normal.

Spaces may appear between some teeth; these may spontaneously close or can be closed at a later stage with braces.

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Rapid Maxillary Expander

The RME is a fixed appliance which is attached with bands to the upper back teeth. Activation of the RME is manual; you will be given a special key/tool and shown by the orthodontist how to turn the RME to activate it. The RME needs to be turned every day for the specified amount of
time (sometimes up to a month). It may feel a little tight after each activation and sometimes a little uncomfortable. The RME expands at the rate of a quarter of a millimeter each day. Usually a space will develop between the two front teeth, this is a good indication that expansion is occurring. This space can be closed at a later stage with braces.

The RME will remain in place for approximately 6-9 months, even when the braces are in place, to maintain the expansion we have created. It also allows time for new bone to grow and fill the space we have made between the two bones to stabilize the maxillary expansion achieved.

Brace are often used in conjunction with an RME to align the teeth and utilize the extra space provided by the expander.

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