Creating Space for Airway Health
Jaw Expansion Therapy is a gentle orthodontic process that gradually widens the upper jaw to improve how the teeth, jaws, and airway develop together. By guiding natural growth, it helps create the space needed for healthy breathing and long-term facial balance.
A narrow upper jaw can limit tongue posture and airflow, often leading to mouth breathing, sleep disruption, or crowded teeth. Expansion helps open the nasal passages and support the proper position of the tongue, promoting easier, more efficient breathing.
Using a custom appliance, small adjustments are made over time to encourage the two halves of the upper jaw to widen. This creates more room for teeth to align naturally while also increasing airway volume.
The result is a wider smile, improved breathing, and a foundation for balanced facial development that benefits patients of all ages.
Jaw Expansion & Early Interceptive Orthodontics
Guiding jaw and airway development during childhood can prevent more complex issues later. Early evaluation gives us the opportunity to support healthier breathing, balanced growth, and long-term stability right from the start.
Learn More About Early Interceptive OrthodonticsWhy Jaw Expansion Matters
During childhood, the jaws are still developing and remain highly responsive to gentle guidance. Expansion at this stage creates the space and structural support needed for healthy growth patterns to emerge. By widening a narrow upper jaw early, we can influence how the face, airway, and dental arches develop during these key formative years.
Jaw expansion can help by:
- Creating room for permanent teeth to erupt in a healthier, more stable position
- Encouraging balanced growth of the upper and lower jaws
- Reducing the need for more invasive orthodontic treatment later
- Supporting proper tongue posture and oral function
- Promoting long-term stability for both bite and airway development
- Improving jaw alignment for breathing
Part of a Whole-Body Approach
Jaw expansion fits within a broader, airway-focused philosophy that looks at how structure, posture, muscle function, and breathing all influence long-term health. By coordinating treatment with the body’s natural growth patterns, we aim to support not just the bite but overall well-being.
As part of this whole-body strategy, our approach may include:
- Collaboration with speech-language pathologists, chiropractors, and postural specialists
- Attention to breathing patterns, tongue posture, and facial growth dynamics
- Integration of therapies that support healthy oral function and balanced development
- Personalized treatment plans that consider both aesthetic goals and functional needs
- Support for improved breathing, sleep quality, and daily comfort