How painful is a palate expander? Like any new dental device, palate expander can cause minor discomfort for the first few days. Some people have slight discomfort after turning the key, too. To reduce tenderness, take over-the-counter pain relievers, such as acetaminophen, ibuprofen or naproxen.

Expanders help the bite fit together properly and can widen the smile to give your child the best smile esthetics. A proper bite for your child will prevent potential pain, jaw joint problems, fractured teeth and grinding.

When most patients start out with an orthodontic expander, they have a slight lisp as they get used to the device. The lisp usually goes away for most patients, who start talking as they did before once their tongues adapt. Because the expander sits in the roof of the mouth, the tongue has to learn to move around it.

Yes, using an expander will moderately change the shape of your face. Because your upper jaw is connected to the bones in your mid-face, specifically your cheekbones, you may notice that your middle face will have a subtly more square shape by the time you are finished using the expander.