Joanna Leung

Product Leader | Passionate in solving problems valuable to people with technology |

Personal Project: Dental Expander

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Children aged 7 to 12 with a narrow upper jaw or an overbite are often prescribed a dental expander. The device widens the jaw while facial bones are still growing.

After installation, parents turn the expander with a key several times a week for several weeks, on a schedule set by the dentist. Results depend on following that schedule.

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  • The treatment is expensive, and outcomes depend on home adherence.
  • The upper and lower expanders follow different schedules.
  • Parents track both alongside daily childcare, and two caregivers often share the task with no shared record.

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If parents get a reminder at a time that fits the family routine and keep a shared completion log, then parents managing a dental expander will complete more scheduled turns on the scheduled day, and there will be a higher chance for the most optimal outcome from this procedure.

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  • Memory load: the expander key competes with every other daily task and is easy to forget.
  • Dual schedules: the upper and lower expanders require different turn days and different totals.
  • Caregiver coordination: two or more caregivers cannot tell whether a turn has already been done.
  • High cost of error: a missed or doubled turn puts an expensive treatment outcome at risk.

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Expander Tracker is a mobile web app with three views.

  1. Today shows what is still due, with a progress bar and a single completion action per expander.

  2. History records every turn.

  3. Settings holds the schedule for each expander and the reminder time.

Each completed turn shows who logged it and when, with an undo action.

A standing note tells parents not to double up after a missed day.

A reminder arrives at the time that fits the family routine.

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  • Design system reuse: the app applies an existing brand design system built in Claude Design, which removed design decisions from the build.

  • Rapid build: Claude Code produced a working iOS- and Android-compatible app in under 2 hours, including testing and bug fixes.

  • Mobile shortcut: an URL is shared with parents that they can add as a shortcut to the device’s home screen for easy access

  • Configurable by prescription: Parents set turn days, start date, and total turns for each expander, and choose the reminder time.

  • Scope control: 1st release covers scheduling, reminders and completion tracking only.

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The app is in daily use in the household. Turn completion is now a visible, shared task instead of a memory task.

The child is motivated to complete each turn because pressing the completion button moves a progress bar toward the dentist’s target. That made cooperation easier.

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The next iteration targets children who need more motivation. The completion action becomes child-friendly and adds a reward moment at each turn and at treatment milestones.

Role
Product Manager, Builder
For
Parents, Kids
Date
June '26
Type
Vibe Coding, Vide Design, Web App
Personal Project: Dental Expander
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