Are palatal expanders a racket
Kid was referred to the Orthodontist who recommended an expander.
-10 years old, will definitely need braces at some point.
-Teeth are a little crowded ... But it's not crazy. I don't think her palate looks narrow like some kids I've seen where it's very noticeable.
-I am not, not vain. Does it really make a difference with a wider smile?
-If she's going to need braces so I really need to pay an additional $3K now? That's not nothing for us.
-The ortho told us the benefit is it greatly reduces the possibility of tooth extraction. I guess I should have asked but ... Is that, that bad? I got my wisdom teeth pulled in high school and ... that was fine. And it didn't cost $3,000.
-The ortho told us it shortens the length of time needed the braces. Has that been your experience?
-She's emotionally very mature, she has asked for expander because I think she's a little self conscious about her crooked teeth, and she has a very high pain tolerance. She's also in about the 2 percentile for weight. If she drops anymore she might literally be off the charts. I've heard this thing makes eating less enjoyable for kids.
I've heard these are absolutely over prescribed. Want to do as much research as possible but I'm not a scientist to read the journals and I don't have a ton of time to get a lot of second opinions. When our former dentist told us she had multiple cavities, I got 3 different opinions and 2 of those said she was actually fine. I'm kind of a skeptic with a lot of this stuff.