A wider smile is upon you.
Uncover benefits that go beyond cosmetics through Jawology's expansion.
We exist because dentistry roots go so much deeper than cosmetics.
The problem & its origin
An epidemic of shrinking jaws & crooked teeth
Our hunter-gatherer ancestors seem to have never had crooked teeth. This has been noted by anthropologists who find human skulls (before the industrial and agricultural revolution) with perfectly straight teeth and wide jaws.
There are many aspects of our modern lifestyle that have led to underdeveloped jaws, like diet, a short breastfeeding period, and poor oral posture. When a young child can get nutrients from soft foods and a bottle, chewing becomes much less prevalent and muscles are not used.
Jaw growth is guided by the muscle and soft tissue of the face. If muscle or soft tissue dysfunction exists, jaw growth is altered.
The shrinking of our upper and lower jaws has meant there is no longer enough space for all thirty-two teeth to fit in the gums. This is the reason for crowded or crooked teeth.
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The negative health effects
Small airways, poor sleep & more
Underdeveloped jaws are associated with a smaller upper airway. Throughout the night, if the body has to put any extra effort into breathing or resorts to mouth breathing, sleep quality is heavily impacted. The shrinking of our jaws is worsening the quality of not just our breathing but our sleep too.
The lower jaw is always looking for a comfortable bite, so when the upper jaw is too narrow, it can trap the lower jaw into a position further backwards. This can cause the airway in the neck to become smaller.
A narrow upper jaw likely means a smaller nasal passage (as they are connected). A blocked or congested nose, sinus issues, and difficulty nasal breathing are common among those with an underdeveloped maxilla (upper jaw). If the tongue does not have enough room to comfortably rest on the palate (due to a small upper jaw), it'll fall back into the airway during sleep making the oropharyngeal airway even smaller.
When someone finds it difficult to breathe through their nose, their natural inclination is often to mouth-breathe (especially while asleep). Mouth breathing causes a lengthening of the face, crooked teeth, chronic fatigue, and many more health issues.
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A solution
Growth & development - the appliance
Luckily, something can be done to address this. The upper jaw (maxilla) is made up of two halves that are joined by a 'suture'. Our appliance applies light forces to both arches, and the jaw slowly expands.
The upper jaw (maxilla) is made up of two halves that are joined by a 'suture'. Our appliance applies light forces to both arches, and the jaw slowly expands. New bone regenerates and fills the space along the suture. There is no pain, as this happens over a long period of time.
Instead of using wires, the appliance covers the occlusal surfaces (the surfaces used for chewing or grinding) of the teeth that it anchors onto, holding the teeth in place. This acts as an anti-tipping mechanism as expansion occurs.
A hole or gap in the appliance is positioned at the soft palate (for the tongue to rest), so correct tongue posture easily becomes a habit.
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Positive health effects
Possible outcomes
There are many benefits that may come from expanding the jaws. Some are more likely than others, and they can vary from person to person depending on age and other factors. Some benefits may also take longer to arise than others.
Some are:
- Wider smile
- Improved nasal breathing
- Teeth alignment
- Improved facial/jaw symmetry
- Calmed nervous system (ability to handle stress improves)
Finally, the most important potential benefit is:
- Improved sleep
A better night's sleep means more energy, an improved mood, greater learning ability, making decisions easier, greater physical performance, creativity, a better immune response, muscle tissue repair and growth, hormone release, and skin quality. The list goes on. If we can improve sleep, we can improve our lives.
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Common questions on expansion.
I thought genetics were responsible for crooked teeth. Can you explain this?
I thought genetics were responsible for crooked teeth. Can you explain this?
Genetics certainly can determine things like tooth/jaw shape, tooth size and alignment. However, changes to our diet and lifestyle as we switched from a hunter-gatherer are meaning the jaws themselves are not getting the growth/development they should have early in life.
A study by Ron Pinhasi analysed the lower jaws and teeth crown dimensions of 292 skeletons from between 28,000 and 6,000 years ago. He concluded that:
"Our analysis shows that the lower jaws of the world's earliest farmers in the Levant, are not simply smaller versions of those of the predecessor hunter-gatherers, but that the lower jaw underwent a complex series of shape changes commensurate with the transition to agriculture."
The switch to farming didn’t just change our jaws. Other studies found that the switch to agriculture triggered other skeletal changes in humans, like less bone density especially around the joints. These changes seem to be also due to living a more sedentary lifestyle that was enabled by farming & domesticating animals.
Is this possible as an adult?
It's a common myth that adult expansion cannot be achieved without some sort of surgery. Expansion is certainly most effective early in life (around 7-9 years of age), since the skull is very malleable during growth and development. After this period, the mid-palatal suture tends to 'harden'. This simply means that expansion must be slower and less aggressive than if it was done in childhood.
There are two types of expansion you can get when using an expander.
- Dental-alveolar (the alveolar process is the thick bone that contains the tooth sockets, and makes up a large portion of the maxilla).
- Skeletal (bone)
Usually, a mix of both dental-alveolar and skeletal expansion take place. At a younger age, more of the expansion will be skeletal however many adults have achieved a good level of skeletal expansion.
There are limited studies to prove what can and can't be done at what age, but there have been countless successful cases published in both adults and children especially using slow removable expansion.
How long does this take?
How long you wear the appliance will depend on your starting point. With a very narrow arch, more expansion will be required to reach a satisfactory level. Some may just need a few millimetres of expansion, and wear the appliance for only 6 months while others will wear it for 1-2 years and achieve 10mm+.
Will tooth-borne expansion cause periodontal damage/gum recession?
If expansion is done slowly with no pain involved, there is very little chance for any damage to the periodontal ligament (the soft tissue that surrounds your tooth in your gums). With light force, the two halves of the maxilla will slowly seperate and fill bone in the suture. If the screw is constantly turned too frequently, or too far, the teeth will be pushed to the edge of the membrane that surrounds (and protects it) and cause inflammation.
Will this appliance cause tooth-tipping?
The appliance covers the entire occlusal surface (wraps around the tooth fully) which holds it upright and in place as expansion occurs - this minimises the chance of tooth tipping.
A holistic approach
Good health is not just a clean diet, or regular exercise. It is when the body is performing its most basic functions (breathing and sleeping) in the optimal way. Our belief is that by fixing a key structural issue (an underdeveloped maxilla), you're addressing many different aspects of your health all at once.