Why Wont my Orthodontist Place an Expander? (photo)

my teeth have alwz been straight but i had braces placed 6 yrs ago due to undrbite.i nvr had a retainer made when my braces were taken off.Now i hav braces again due to shifting.My teeth wer edge2edge,basically on top of eachothr w/this 2nd time2 start but my new ortho wnt put an expndr on my narrow top, i want a huge smile like i had the 1st time aftr my braces were removed but he says it wont wrk bcz of my age.Im 20 yrs old.the 1st time i had braces the expandr made a HUGE dif.wat shld i do?

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1 Doctor Answer | Asked by jan.cali in california

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A wider smile at any age

Traditional training in dentistry and orthodontics has been that after the early teens you need surgery to expand the upper jaw. Many orthodontists still follow this protocol. Fortunately this is misinformation and has existed for decades, but now is being shown to be incorrect. My new book "Straight Talk about Crooked Teeth" dispels this as well as several other myths and shows how the full 'movie star' smile can be accomplished at any age without surgery... more