Expansion

Treatment At Horton Orthodontics

Maxillary expansion, or palatal expansion, is a very valuable treatment method, where appropriate. Dr. Horton uses many different types of expansion in her practice. To determine if you or your child would benefit from expansion, Dr. Horton takes many factors into consideration, including evaluating 2D and/or 3D CBCT radiographs (xrays), taking a detailed health history including a history of grinding, sleep disturbances, narrow airway, previous ENT evaluation, etc., clinical exam, and family history. Our team takes pride in how easy we make this treatment for everyone! Please see below for additional information.

Expansion

Expansion is most easily achieved when we are littler! This is due to how the bones in our jaw grow and mature over time. This is the most common type of expanding used in our practice. For our kiddos who need expansion, we make it very straightforward – no goopy impressions, no separators, no band fitting! Just an easy 3D picture is taken with our digital iTero scanner. The expander is then custom made by our lab, especially for your child! Placing the expander takes just a few minutes, and our very experienced team gives you all the tips and tricks to set you and your child up for success.

DOME, and related procedures, is a minimally invasive facial surgery that can be used when a patient is too old for traditional expansion. Dr. Horton works closely with an oral surgeon when delivering this care. The process consists of a custom-made maxillary expander to fit the narrow palatal vault using small temporary anchorage devices (TADs). The second part involves an osteotomy which is performed by an oral surgeon. These steps allow us to achieve skeletal expanding, even in non-growing patients.

These innovative orthodontic techniques are used to achieve expansion of the upper jaw without relying solely on traditional palatal expanders. The procedure involves placing miniscrews (sometimes called temporary anchorage devices, or TADs) into the palate to serve as anchorage points. Specialized appliances are then attached to these miniscrews, enabling controlled and targeted forces to be applied for palatal expanding. MARPE allows for effective expansion of the upper jaw in older patients or those with limited skeletal growth potential but who don’t need surgical intervention like DOME or SARPE.

This cutting-edge orthodontic approach is utilized to facilitate controlled and efficient tooth movement without relying solely on neighboring teeth for support. TADs are small titanium screws temporarily implanted into specific locations in the jawbone to serve as stable anchorage points. TAD expansion offers greater precision, minimizes unwanted side effects and allows for more intricate orthodontic maneuvers.

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The Importance In Early Orthodontics

The most common reason interceptive, or phase I, orthodontic treatment is needed for a younger child is if their upper jaw is too narrow. Correcting a narrow upper jaw at a young age can have many benefits, including improving facial symmetry, decreasing the chance for future asymmetric growth, promoting more favorable growth over time, allowing space for permanent teeth to grow in properly, benefitting your child’s overall health, and improving the overall long-term functional and esthetic outcome of their overall orthodontic treatment.

Orthodontics, Expansion, Airway, ENT, and Overall Health

Dr. Horton is committed to evaluating how orthodontic treatment can positively impact each patient’s overall health, not just their mouth! Expansion can be appropriate for use in airway improvement as a part of a comprehensive plan determined by a health care team which can include ENTs, oral surgeons, pediatric dentists or general dentists, myofunctional therapists, orthodontists, and other healthcare providers. Sometimes it takes a village! Dr. Horton will refer you to other specialists when appropriate so you can receive the best and most comprehensive care possible.

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Locally Owned and Smiles That Are Locally Grown

Individualized Orthodontic Care In Woodbury, Minnesota

Dr. Horton is a board certified orthodontist with years of experience and expertise in her field. She is proud to provide a locally owned and operated practice that offers a welcoming environment and cutting-edge orthodontic technology for all patients. Get started with the smile of your dreams today!

Woodbury Office

8480 Woodbury Crossing, Suite 110
Woodbury, MN 55125

Call or Text:
(651) 738-9060

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