bdpsl
Iron
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- May 23, 2025
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Hello everyone,
I have recently joined this forum and wanted to start off by sharing my thoughts on what's often referred to as the "holy grail" of facial aesthetics, the maxilla and the misleading hype surrounding palate expanders promoted by social media influencers.
A palate expander is a medical appliance used to widen the upper jaw, specifically the palatine bone. It is typically prescribed to children, or, in some cases adults with specific medical needs. Influencers have started mimciking this process with unproven methods like "thumb pullinnh," spreading misinformation that this device is some kind of miracle for looksmaxxing.
Let me make this clear:
A palate expander does not move the entire maxilla as one solid block. It targets the palatine bone, not the full midface. It is strictly meant fot those with medical indications, such as dentoalveolar issues or restricted nasopharyngeal airways that may contribute to conditions like sleep apea. This is not a tool for everyone, and it certainly isn't a cosmetic shortcut.
Understanding the Structure of the Maxilla (APA)
The maxilla is not a single, solid bone. The maxilla is a complex bone structure that includes the palatine processes, alveolar processes, and connections to the zygomatic and nasal bones. When people mention "moving the maxilla forward" or "expanding the entire midface," they are usually misunderstanding how craniofacial anatomy works.
Palatal expanders work by seperating the midpalatal suture, and this expansion is primarily limited to the palatal vault. In young individuals (pre-pubertal), this suture is not yet fused, which is way a rapid palatal expansion (RPE) is mostly effective in children (Zhou et al., 2014).
Moving on, I'd like to discuss the difference between an MARPE vs an SARPE.
For post-pubertal teens and adults, where the palatal suture has started to fuse, surgically assisted rapid palatal expansion (SARPE) or mini-implant-assisted rapid palatal expansion (MARPE) is often required.
These effects are not predictable and are not the primary purpose of maxillary expansion. Using an expander solely for cosmetic purposes without clinical indication is NOT supported by ethical orthodontic practice.
The Harms of DIY Expanding Methods
Unregulated tactics like thumb-pulling, DIY expanders, or mewing with excessive force does not replicate what an orthodontist does with a palate expanders. These unregulated methods can leed to:
Conclusion
Brothers and sisters if you're considering maxillary expansion, it should be because a qualified orthodontist has diagnosed you with a legitimate functional or strucutal need, such as a narrow arch, impaired breathing, or a cross bite, not because of aesthetic trends posted online.
I say this from personal experience.
I was someone who fell into the trap of these misinformation-fueled methods, truly beliving that techniques like thumb-pulling, forceful mewing, and other dumb methods could drastically change my appearance. As I've pursued my study in medicine, craniology, and human anatomy, I've come to realize just how scientifically flawed, and in many cases dangerous these trends can be. Social media has become a place spreading galse hope, especially among young men and women who are trying to improve their appearance but don't have the access to reliable information. These platforms and the creators just profit off our insecurities while promoting methods that hve no basis in evidence-based science.
In my next thread, I'll be breaking down why no form of mewing, posture correction, or nasal breathing can fundamentally change your bone structure or override your genetic bleuprint. These things may have minor supportive benefits, but they are not the holy fixes they are deemed to be.
References
Garib, D. G., Henriques, J. F. C., Janson, G., Freitas, M. R., & Coelho, R. A. (2006). Periodontal effects of rapid maxillary expansion with tooth-tissue-borne and tooth-borne expanders: A computed tomography evaluation. American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, 129(6), 749-758. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajodo.2005.02.028
Lee, K. J., Park, Y. C., Park, J. Y., & Hwang, W. S. (2018). Miniscrew-assisted nonsurgical palatal expansion before orthognathic surgery for a patient with severe mandibular prognathism. American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, 153(1), 145–156. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajodo.2016.09.014
Zhou, Y., Long, H., Ye, N., Liao, L., Jian, F., & Lai, W. (2014). The effectiveness of maxillary protraction therapy with or without rapid maxillary expansion: a meta-analysis. Orthodontics & Craniofacial Research, 17(4), 175-186. https://doi.org/10.1111/ocr.12042
I have recently joined this forum and wanted to start off by sharing my thoughts on what's often referred to as the "holy grail" of facial aesthetics, the maxilla and the misleading hype surrounding palate expanders promoted by social media influencers.
A palate expander is a medical appliance used to widen the upper jaw, specifically the palatine bone. It is typically prescribed to children, or, in some cases adults with specific medical needs. Influencers have started mimciking this process with unproven methods like "thumb pullinnh," spreading misinformation that this device is some kind of miracle for looksmaxxing.
Let me make this clear:
A palate expander does not move the entire maxilla as one solid block. It targets the palatine bone, not the full midface. It is strictly meant fot those with medical indications, such as dentoalveolar issues or restricted nasopharyngeal airways that may contribute to conditions like sleep apea. This is not a tool for everyone, and it certainly isn't a cosmetic shortcut.
Understanding the Structure of the Maxilla (APA)
The maxilla is not a single, solid bone. The maxilla is a complex bone structure that includes the palatine processes, alveolar processes, and connections to the zygomatic and nasal bones. When people mention "moving the maxilla forward" or "expanding the entire midface," they are usually misunderstanding how craniofacial anatomy works.
Palatal expanders work by seperating the midpalatal suture, and this expansion is primarily limited to the palatal vault. In young individuals (pre-pubertal), this suture is not yet fused, which is way a rapid palatal expansion (RPE) is mostly effective in children (Zhou et al., 2014).
Moving on, I'd like to discuss the difference between an MARPE vs an SARPE.
For post-pubertal teens and adults, where the palatal suture has started to fuse, surgically assisted rapid palatal expansion (SARPE) or mini-implant-assisted rapid palatal expansion (MARPE) is often required.
- SARPE involves surgical seperation of the palatal and surrounding bones before using an expander. Thus allowing skeletal changes beyond the palatine bone but still does not move the full maxilla en bloc.
- MARPE uses temporary anchorage devices (TADs) which are screwed into the palate to anchor the expansion applying direct force to the bone, bypassing dental tipping and allowing mild skeletal movement (Lee et al., 2018).
Even in these cases, the changes are typically limited to widening the nasal floor, alveolar ridges, and increasing nasal airway volume, not drastic forward projection of the midface. There might be some secondary aesthetic changes, but they're usually overstated. For example, an increase in nasal width (due to lateral displacement of the nasal cavity), mild increase in upper lip fullness (due to dental arch changes), reduce midface "hollowness" (subjective, varies per individual), improved airway volume, etc (Garib et al., 2006).These effects are not predictable and are not the primary purpose of maxillary expansion. Using an expander solely for cosmetic purposes without clinical indication is NOT supported by ethical orthodontic practice.
The Harms of DIY Expanding Methods
Unregulated tactics like thumb-pulling, DIY expanders, or mewing with excessive force does not replicate what an orthodontist does with a palate expanders. These unregulated methods can leed to:
- Root resoroption
- TMJ dysfunction
- Tooth mobility and misalignment
- Unwanted asymmetry
- Tooth mobility and misalignment
- Unwanted asymmetry
No tiktok method can ever replicate a controlled and measurable orthodontic tool.Conclusion
Brothers and sisters if you're considering maxillary expansion, it should be because a qualified orthodontist has diagnosed you with a legitimate functional or strucutal need, such as a narrow arch, impaired breathing, or a cross bite, not because of aesthetic trends posted online.
I say this from personal experience.
I was someone who fell into the trap of these misinformation-fueled methods, truly beliving that techniques like thumb-pulling, forceful mewing, and other dumb methods could drastically change my appearance. As I've pursued my study in medicine, craniology, and human anatomy, I've come to realize just how scientifically flawed, and in many cases dangerous these trends can be. Social media has become a place spreading galse hope, especially among young men and women who are trying to improve their appearance but don't have the access to reliable information. These platforms and the creators just profit off our insecurities while promoting methods that hve no basis in evidence-based science.
In my next thread, I'll be breaking down why no form of mewing, posture correction, or nasal breathing can fundamentally change your bone structure or override your genetic bleuprint. These things may have minor supportive benefits, but they are not the holy fixes they are deemed to be.
References
Garib, D. G., Henriques, J. F. C., Janson, G., Freitas, M. R., & Coelho, R. A. (2006). Periodontal effects of rapid maxillary expansion with tooth-tissue-borne and tooth-borne expanders: A computed tomography evaluation. American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, 129(6), 749-758. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajodo.2005.02.028
Lee, K. J., Park, Y. C., Park, J. Y., & Hwang, W. S. (2018). Miniscrew-assisted nonsurgical palatal expansion before orthognathic surgery for a patient with severe mandibular prognathism. American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, 153(1), 145–156. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajodo.2016.09.014
Zhou, Y., Long, H., Ye, N., Liao, L., Jian, F., & Lai, W. (2014). The effectiveness of maxillary protraction therapy with or without rapid maxillary expansion: a meta-analysis. Orthodontics & Craniofacial Research, 17(4), 175-186. https://doi.org/10.1111/ocr.12042
