Randy M. Feldman D.D.S, M.S., Chief Smile Officer of Feldman Orthodontics explains jaw expansion in this video and blog. Many times, kids and adults present to our practice with a very, very constricted maxilla or upper jaw. We need to expand the upper jaw. How do we do that? Dr. Feldman explains visually in this video. There’s several ways to do it. What we normally do is we use this device, right here, called a quad helix. Quad meaning four, one, two, three, four; and Helix is a little curl there, like a curly fry. We use this to expand the upper jaw. What we do is take it off, expand it, compress it, glue it in, and the pressure of this wire overtime will widen the upper jaw.There’s another way of doing it, and this device is called a Hyrax. This device has a key that Mom or Dad turn twice a day. It’s a little more painful, traps food, the kids talk rather funny, so we tend not to use the Hyrax in our office, we tend to use the Quad Helix.But what is nice to show you, with either method you’re going to get expansion. And this is the young man who came in, he is 12 years old, you can tell he is very, very constricted. The reasons could have been either, thumb sucking, genetics, airway, but whatever the reason, this is extremely crowded. He also has a cuspid, which still needs to come in. So we used this device, the Quad Helix, and this is what he looks like afterwards. So he went from here, completely crowded and a blocked out tooth, to an improved situation, where all the teeth are in and it’s nice and broad. In the video, Dr. Feldman shows that from the front angle there was also improvement. Feldman Orthodontics 1773 W Fletcher Ave. Tampa 33612 Florida Tel: (813) 968-2483 or 3739 W Neptune St. Tampa 33629 Florida Tel: (813) 254-8005.To learn more about Randy M. Feldman, DDS, MS and Feldman Orthodontics and the orthodontic treatment available for children, teens, and adults using braces, Invisalign, and Invisalign Teen, please visit: http://YourBite.com or call (813) 968-2483.
