Roy T. Bonk, DDS - Pebble Beach Dental

Correction of Crowded and Crooked Teeth - Arch Development (Expansion)

In most cases of crowded and crooked teeth, the jaws have not grown or developed enough ill size .With insufficient space on the dental arches the teeth become twisted or improperly aligned.

There are two methods to correct this problem before braces are placed .One is to extract permanent or primary teeth and use the newly created space to align the remaining tooth. The other method is to utilize treatment procedures that allow the jaws to increase in size. This is referred to as expansion or arch development.

With an increase in the size of the jaws, the need for extraction of tooth is eliminated. A beautiful and full smile can be achieved when all the teeth are present. And in most cases when the upper arch is expanded, improvement in breathing is noticed. Arch development can be started as soon as the problem is noticed which can be as early as age six or seven. Excellent results are also obtained in the teen years and even into adulthood, but with adults there are more limitations. Non-extraction and non-surgical techniques should always be considered in orthodontic treatment.

Before Treatment:


The arch (jaw) is too small to accommodate the cuspids.

After Treatment:


The arch has been developed (widened) and with the new space, the cupids are in proper alignment.

One type of appliance to help the dental arches to develop larger:

Examples of Patients Treated for crowding with Arch Development

Christine

Christine Age 12 Before Treatment	Christine Age 14 After Treatment

Before Treatment Moderate to Severe Crowding	After 19 months of arch development with the Crozat appliance and 6 months of braces

After treatment profile shows good lip support and fullness about the mouth.