Where on earth do we get palate expander for DD?

[Rivermonkey]

My DD1 has a very high, narrow palate and I think this is causing her ENT issues (mouth breathing, snoring etc). We were referred to ENT who basically said they wouldn't do anything because she could still breathe a bit at night and mouth breathing and snoring aren't a problem (which I know is BS). I've then looked into palate expanders and myofunctional therapy to help. I've bought a myomunchee and remplenish myonozzle for her to use but I think she will need palate expansion as her teeth are already so crowded and she finds it hard to close her mouth.

I've contacted various orthodontists but no one seems to offer this. So where do I actually go to get this done? I know it will need to be private. I live near derby and nottingham if anyone knows anywhere remotely local to this!

A good orthodontist can do this using clear aligners.

Just noticed where you live and it is not local to me so cannot recommended anyone but definitely keep looking.

See Rachel at stoar valley. She's brilliant

You may have found somewhere by now but my Dd went to no1 orthodontist in mickleover and they were amazing. I found it very difficult to find one that would treat younger children rather than teens, DD was 7 when she started her treatment.

Happy kids dental in London. It was a long process but DS can finally breathe and eat properly. Good luck.

Hi OP,

I hope you managed to find a good orthodontist to fit a suitable palate expander.

May I ask if REMplenish helped at all? I am looking to get it for my son who is 6 and has early signs of high palate, but his case is not severe. it is costly, wondering if it is worth trying.

Thank you.

@Twilightstarbright hello can I ask what dentist you had and also what appliance they used please? Did you notice his face broaden too and his smile? Jaw? Thank you!

Hi not sure on the appliance name and the orthodontist we started under is no longer in the UK but we are at Happy Kids dental in London. His face shape changed (in a positive way) and he was able to achieve a lip seal much more easily.

My friend’s son had his palate expander service provided by an Orthodontist in the Warwickshire area which I think isn’t too far from you? PM me if you want the details.

Hello, I’m looking at this for my toddler. Did any of your children have a tongue tie in infancy? I’m trying to work out what might help for the second child.

Both of my friend’s sons had tongue tie / high and narrow palates, leading to overcrowding, abnormal bites and misaligned teeth etc.

She paid privately to have her first son’s orthodontic work done when he was 10 and it took just under two years in total.

Her second son is 8.5 years old and when he’s 10 she will be doing the same for him.

I would like advice on this too please. My son has just turned 7.he has a very narrow palate, a big overbite, mouth breathes and he cannot close his lips fully comfortably. I've read so many mixed things about what to do. Dentist said to wait until all adult teeth through, which seems silly given the palate is soft now. Metal palate expander-would be private and costly. Plastic retainers to wear at night-do they work?
I don't know what to do.

20 years ago we used an orthodontist in Horsham but I reckon he’s retired now!

Most NHS orthodontists won’t do any work until all the adult teeth are present whoch is why we went Private as the palate is much more easier to shape when the child is younger. Also, of the adult teeth are coming down into a palate that is too narrow and misshapen then the teeth adult will ultimately be crooked and crowded.

The problem is that in order to change the shape of the palate and expand it you have to have a device that can be widened as the gradual widening of the device (done manually by the parent or child) is what widens the palate. Wearing a retainer will just keep the palate at the same shape/width it is now, it won’t widen it so it won’t improve the situation.

My son had to have his upper and lower palates widened and had a metal fixed expander on his lower jaw and a removable metal expander on his upper jaw.

They each had an inbuilt device that we had to turn every fortnight with a little key (similar to the little pin you use to access your SIM in your mobile) which would widen the palate by a minuscule amount each time.

He had to wear his lower jaw expander for just over a year and he still has his upper jaw one now and it’s been two years of pin turning and expanding. Thankfully we are nearly at the end of the journey!

The difference in his jaw and his face shape is remarkable though and all his teeth (as his adults one are now all coming through) are perfectly straight.

All the snoring and mouth breathing has completely stopped too and we saw a very quick improvement with that.

We didn’t go down the palate expander pathway until he was 10 though as the braces are quite a responsibility and it can be tough for the child in terms of how alien it can feel.

Our other son also needs the same and we going to wait until he’s 10 as well. I think he will find it harder to cope with than his brother unfortunately but it does need doing.

@ScaredButUnavoidable has summarised it really well.

I’m delighted in how DS’ treatment had gone. It’s taken years but it’s had such a positive impact on his life- he was dribbling to the extent he needed a bib at school age. He can now seal his lips, speak more clearly and doesn’t mouth breathe. His face shape has changed and is more balanced too.

I know it’s daunting to start on a young child but I think it’s easier as you are more in control of them and things like turning the key in the palette expander. We were warned that he may still need surgery as a teen/adult but that this was our best chance of avoiding that.

The major downside is the cost, we are ‘lucky’ DS’ malocclusion was so severe (IV) that our BUPA dental insurance covered some of the treatment but we’ve had to pay the rest, plus the time and cost of travelling to Chelsea for appointments. NHS weren’t interested and said they’d just operate when he’s older.

@ScaredButUnavoidable thank you so much for replying. I really need to book some appointments at private clinics. I have read about the fixed palate expander and think this is what DS needs.

My daughter had this around 7, it really made a huge difference. I am in Canada and it's really common here, although it looks and feels like a medieval torture device it really works. Can't help you with specific dentists but I would agree with others that the intervention at a younger age is well worth it both in terms of improving bite but also for ENT purposes. The James Nestor book "Breath" is a great book and an easy read on why the palate is so important, why mouth breathing is terrible for your health and correlated with lots of other sicknesses and is well worth a read if anyone's interested.