Maxillary Expansion

Based on various genetic and developmental factors, your upper jawbone (maxilla) may develop abnormally. If your maxilla does not develop normally in the transverse plane (wide enough), subsequent functional issues can arise including insufficient tongue space, poor nasal breathing (both of which can lead to sleep-related breathing disorders), increased airway collapsibility, impacted teeth and dental crowding.

Schedule Your Consultation

What is Maxillary Transverse Deficiency?

Functional issues like chronic mouth-breathing can lead to a maxilla that does not develop wide enough, also known as a maxillary transverse deficiency. The maxilla is the largest facial bone and encompasses much more than what we see in the mouth. The maxillary body and its four processes form the bone that holds the upper teeth, the roof of the mouth (which impacts tongue space), and the floor and lateral walls of the nasal cavity (which impact nasal breathing). Some common complaints a patient with maxillary transverse discrepancy may experience include: open-mouth breathing, chronic nasal congestion, impacted teeth, crooked teeth, tiredness, lack of concentration, snoring, neck posture issues, difficulty chewing, TMJ problems, and headaches.

Labelled Maxillary Transverse Deficiency Image.png

What are the
options ?

SURGICAL + NON

As a fellowship-trained oral and maxillofacial surgeon who specializes in skeletal expansion, Dr. Coppelson is highly trained and very experienced in all of the state-of-the-art and minimally-invasive techniques that can correct maxillary transverse deficiency and the symptoms it causes.

Depending on your treatment plan and preferences, these procedures can sometimes even be performed safely in the office under local anesthesia or IV sedation.

Also, depending on your case and preferences, Dr. Coppelson can even perform these procedures in the operating room setting for maximum patient comfort.

Some of the techniques Dr. Coppelson performs include Minimally Invasive NasoMaxillary Distraction (M.I.N.D.), Endoscopically-assisted surgical expansion (EASE), Distraction osteogenesis maxillary expansion (DOME), and Surgically-assisted rapid palatal expansion (SARPE).

Mini-Screw Assisted Rapid Palatal Expander

(MARPE)

MARPE is a revolutionary palatal expander designed for patients who require skeletal expansion rather than traditional dental movement.

Minimally Invasive NasoMaxillary Distraction (MIND)

MIND is a state-of-the-art surgical technique designed to achieve true mid-face expansion with minimal downtime.

Minimally-Invasive

Maxillary Expansion
(MSE)

MSE is a groundbreaking technique for expanding the maxilla (upper jaw), improving nasal breathing, and increasing tongue space.

Transform Your Breathing, Function, and Esthetics

Sam's Journey

Optimize Your Airway Health and Function!

What about
DOME and SARPE?

DOME and SARPE are both techniques that primarily expand the alveolar process of the maxilla. This is accomplished by performing a 2-piece LeFort I osteotomy (see the picture in the right column). Even though the entire maxilla is not expanded, these procedures still expand the nasal floor, the palate, and the volume of alveolar bone (the bone that houses the maxillary teeth). Therefore these patients still experience improvement in their ability to breathe through their nose, palatal tongue space, and volume of alveolar bone required to uncrowd teeth. The primary difference between DOME and SARPE is in the type of expander used. Post-surgical expansion with a SARPE will be achieved using a tooth-borne expander, while a bone-borne expander will be used in DOME.