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Early Orthodontic & Airway Expansion at Shine Pediatric Dental Co.
At Shine Pediatric Dental Co., we understand the importance of early orthodontic intervention. That's why we offer Early Orthodontic Expansion starting as early as age 3 for children with severe crowding or crossbites. Our expansion treatments include traditional fixed expansion and early Invisalign First.
Invisalign Palatal Expansion
At Shine Pediatric Dental Co., Dr. Sarah Severson provides Invisalign Palatal Expanders as part of her advanced pediatric orthodontic care. These expanders gently widen the upper jaw, creating the ideal foundation for a straight, healthy smile. When paired with Invisalign treatment, they improve bite alignment, prevent crowding, and support long-term oral health.
How Invisalign Palatal Expanders Work
Dr. Sarah Severson uses custom-made Invisalign Palatal Expanders that fit comfortably over the upper teeth. These expanders gradually widen the palate, allowing permanent teeth to align naturally. Unlike traditional expanders, Invisalign expanders are discreet, removable, and child-friendly, working seamlessly with Invisalign aligners.
Benefits include:
- Supports Invisalign treatment by creating space for teeth to move naturally
- Prevents dental crowding and misalignment
- Improves bite function for healthier oral development
- Comfortable and removable for easy oral hygiene
Why Choose Invisalign Palatal Expanders for Your Child
Early expansion guided by Dr. Sarah Severson can prevent more complex orthodontic issues in the future. By combining Invisalign Palatal Expanders with Invisalign aligners, your child can:
- Achieve a straighter, healthier smile efficiently
- Reduce the need for future extractions or braces
- Promote proper jaw growth and alignment during key developmental stages
MyoMunchee and MyoBrace
Chewing is crucial for the development of the jaw, palate, and facial structures. While primitive cultures had diets that required significant chewing effort, modern processed diets often do not. MyoMunchee helps promote healthy development of facial muscle strength, encourages nose breathing and correct resting tongue posture, and assists in maintaining a younger, healthier mouth by keeping face muscles active and strong.
We start introducing MyoMunchee Bebe at 6-18 months of age to help with general oral tone, combat mouth breathing, and be used as an oral motor exerciser. We then advance to MyoMunchee Mini for 18 months to 4 years to wean non-nutritive suck habits (thumb sucking), correct open bites, and improve oral motor tone and function.
Invisalign First
The benefits of Invisalign First include all of the benefits of traditional fixed expansion mentioned above, as well as making it easier for the child to maintain good oral hygiene for the dentition due to there being no fixed metal brackets, bands, springs etc on the teeth. Another benefit of Invisialign is that teeth are intentionally individually aligned and moved as prescribed by the provider, whereas with traditional fixed metal expanders, the arch is expanded, but teeth are not individually moved into optimal position with a fixed appliance alone.
In our clinical experience, young children tend to be very compliant and comfortable wearing and changing their clear aligners.
If clear aligners are something you are interested in helping to guide the jaw growth and expand your child's developing arches, give us a call and we would love to get you scheduled for a consultation!
Traditional Fixed Expansion
This option is great for arches that are very small and constricted, where primary crowding may be appreciated, as well as crossbites and underbites. Developing the arches early helps to provide more intraoral space for the tongue and ultimately can increase the upper airway volume, which will help your child's overall wellness.
Ready to start your child's journey to a healthy, beautiful smile?
Schedule a consultation with Dr. Severson at Shine Pediatric Dental Co. today to learn more about our Early Orthodontic Expansion options. Your child deserves the best care for their oral health—let us help them shine!
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