neuro.
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First, understand the core rule: you can only meaningfully influence facial structure while you are still growing. Puberty is the window where skeletal changes are possible, but even then, outcomes depend on growth stage, genetics, and treatment timing.
Section 1:
Know what you're trying to change.
Section 2:
Understanding that your age will determine whether this guide can help or not.
Section 3:
Widening the maxilla
Section 4:
Vertical growth control
Expansion methods (from weakest → strongest skeletally):
Key points:
Section 1:
Know what you're trying to change.
A "longer" face is usually caused by:
- Excess vertical growth in the maxilla
- Downward/backward rotation in the mandible and maxilla
- A narrow maxilla (exaggerates facial height)
- Increasing facial width
- Controlling vertical growth direction
Understanding that your age will determine whether this guide can help or not.
- Early-mid puberty will have the best response, typically from ages 11-14
- Late puberty will have a signifigantly less effect
- Post puberty will be mostly dental instead of facial
Widening the maxilla
The part you've been waiting for, the good stuff.
Expanding a narrow maxilla can:
Expanding a narrow maxilla can:
- Increase midface width
- Increase zygomatic support
- Make the face appear less long, and improving your FWHR.
Subsection: methods of expansion
Normal RPE:
- Pros:
- Very effective during early puberty
- Nonsurgical
- Widely avalible
- Cons:
- Mostly just dental changes later in puberty
- Limited effect in older teens
- Can cause molar tipping
- Best for: Early-puberty patients with narrow maxillas
MARPE (Miniscrew-Assisted RPE)
- Pros:
- Greater skeletal expansion than RPE in adolescents
- Works later into puberty than RPE
- Less dental dipping
- Nonsurgical
- Cons:
- Results still go down later into puberty
- Can have vertical side effects in some cases
- Requires precise placement and experience
- Best for: Mid-puberty teens with limited but remaining growth
MSE:
- Pros:
- Strongest nonsurgical expansion
- Can work into late puberty and sometimes very early adulthood
- Minimal dental tipping
- Can improve airways
- Cons:
- Changes are still subtle, not insane
- Requires an experienced ortho
- Best for: Practically anyone in puberty
But wait, what if I'm past puberty?
Sarpe is for you!
- Pros:
- Reliable past puberty
- Minimal dental tipping
- Cons:
- Surgical
- Expensive
- Long recovery
- Best for: Post puberty adults with narrow maxillas
Vertical growth control
Your ortho WILL matter. You can't just go to any ortho and expect good results.
Excess molar extrusion will create a longer face.
Bad orthodontics will worsen face proportions.
Things like bite blocks and proper mechanics do matter.
Headgear can help DURING GROWTH.
There are many external factors besides orthodontics that can affect your growth.- Chronic mouth breathing = downward growth. Avoid this at all costs.
- Severe tounge tie - limits oral posture
- Poor posture - Can make you look much worse, and make you look more downward grown.
this is all water, but i have nothing else to do
TLDR
- You can’t shorten a long face without surgery, even in puberty
- Puberty only gives you limited ability to guide growth, not redesign your face
- The main strategy is increasing width and controlling vertical growth
- Expansion helps proportion, not height reduction
Expansion methods (from weakest → strongest skeletally):
- RPE: works best in early puberty
- MARPE: works mid-puberty, mixed dental/skeletal
- MSE: strongest non-surgical option, works into late puberty
- SARPE: surgical, post-puberty only
Key points:
- Earlier puberty = better results
- Width changes are real but subtle
- Bad orthodontics can make a long face worse
- Habits (breathing, posture) matter, but won’t fix bone alone
