Christmas is just around the corner. And so, we thought the time is right to look back at some of our favourite posts.

Our holiday schedule

We all deserve a break — even orthodontists! So, before we reminisce, to follow are the days that we are closed during the holidays:

• Last day: Friday the 21^st of December (close at 12 pm)
• Reopening: Monday the 14^th of January.

Look after your braces

It’s easy to let your guard down during the holidays. You’ll probably try different foods and slip out of your daily routine. We’d hate for a braces a malfunction to spoil your holiday fun, so here are some things you can do to ensure you don’t run into any orthodontic problems:

• Get a braces ‘warrant of fitness’ — if you’ll be out of town for a while, see your orthodontist before you leave to make sure everything is in place.
• Put together a holiday hygiene kit — this should include a travel toothbrush, dental floss and orthodontic wax.
• Avoid certain foods — foods to avoid include corn on the cob, nuts and boiled lollies.

For more information about preparing for the holidays, read this post.

3 nearly invisible braces

Is your New Year’s resolution to do something about your crooked teeth? Good on you! If you’re an adult, though, you may be worried about how you will look wearing braces. After all, looks are important in the grown-up world. In reality, increasingly more people are getting braces later in life thanks largely to the several nearly invisible options of braces available. In this post, we explain three of these options.

Do you have to wear a retainer?

In case you don’t know, the purpose of a retainer, usually made or wire or plastic, is to hold your teeth in place after your orthodontist has removed your braces.

Around 10 – 15 years ago, many orthodontists didn’t tell their patients to wear a retainer. However, research shows that there is always the chance that your teeth will move post-treatment. So, ideally, you should wear a retainer for a couple of nights a week for a lifetime.

In this post, we explain:

• How retainers work
• For how long you should wear them
• What happens if you don’t wear a retainer for a short period.

Merry Xmas

Finally, on behalf of the team at Turner Lim, have a brilliant Xmas and New Year!

Maxillary expansion is the orthodontic process of widening the upper jaw (maxilla) to align with the lower jaw. There are several benefits of this procedure that go even beyond orthodontics, which we discuss in this post. But, first, let’s look at why and how orthodontists use maxillary expansion.

In orthodontics

By widening a patient’s upper jaw, orthodontists can create space to correct crowding. The procedure also often eliminates the need for tooth extraction.

Why is expansion needed?

A narrow upper jaw won’t come right over time or as a child grows into an adult. Luckily, jaw problems in children are visible early. In fact, orthodontists usually carry out expansion on pre-adolescents because, at that age, their bones are not yet fused together, making it easier to widen the palate.

Crowded teeth because of a narrow jaw can cause the following problems:

• Teeth are difficult to clean. As a result, food can become trapped and cause bad breath and gum disease.
• Teeth can wear abnormally. Crowded teeth often don’t align correctly with their counterparts and touch tooth areas they shouldn’t.
• It can be difficult to chew. The inability of teeth to make contact with each other can make chewing a problem.

How does maxillary expansion work?

The orthodontist will cement a custom-made appliance (expander) to the patient’s posterior upper teeth (bicuspids and molars). The expander has a small screw or spring that when turned, generates a force that gently separates the two palatal bones. The orthodontist will instruct the child or parent to turn the screw once a week, sometimes more often.

Beyond orthodontics

As mentioned in our introduction, there are other non-orthodontic problems maxillary expansion can address. Here they are.

Bedwetting

Yes, you read right. It is thought that expanding a child’s upper jaw can reduce or stop bedwetting. Now, you may be sceptical that maxillary expansion could cure for such a condition, but it makes sense. You see, many experts believe there is a link between bedwetting and breathing sleep disorders. The palate forms the base of the nasal airway, so widening it can improve airflow.

Sleep apnoea

Again, because maxillary expansion improves patients’ airways, it is thought to improve obstructive sleep apnoea in children — where the child stops breathing several times during the night. In adults, the lack of decent sleep can manifest in them falling asleep at inappropriate times. With children though, poor sleep can lead to hyperactivity, behaviour sometimes misdiagnosed as ADHD.

Hearing problems

Finally, several studies show that the hearing of hearing impaired children can improve from between two to 19 decibels after maxillary expansion.

There is still plenty of debate over the merits of maxillary expansion beyond orthodontics. If you feel, however, that the procedure may help your child, we recommend you consult a doctor to investigate allergies or adenoid problems first.

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