Lower SARPE - Widening your entire smile?

[Nataliepryor]

Wouldn't they need to break the bone again to narrow it???

[Modigliani]

I mean the way they shape the arch of the teeth with braces, the smile appears narrowed.

[Gregor Samsa]

What part of the arch was narrowed? Did everyone here have a crossbite before you had SARPE?

[Modigliani]

When the jaws are advanced, more of the arch shows so braces are used to reshape it bring it in a little.

[bpanther]

I'm surprised SARPE after braces, as the expender does make your teeth a bit crooked with the movement and lining them up perfectly to mess them up a bit seems strange.

That's true, although my palate did expand considerably with just braces so on hindsight it was wise that I got braces first. I'll guess I'll need less of an expansion with SARPE now. I don't reckon it'll make my teeth that crooked because my braces will still be in place to prevent any unnecessary movement.

[Nataliepryor]

Ok, I understand what you mean.

I have a significant cross bite and expanding has improved that ten fold.  I know they do 'over expand' by 20% so the upper arch may appear to come in a little due to that also??

I think the big jaw movements would definately change the overall look for sure.

If I am smiling at the end of all this and my teeth are taking up most of my mouth in width, I will know it was definately worth the expansion.

I haven't heard many regrets on the expanding front.

Having a 'bird like' upper arch and a wide lovely bottom pallett, I have not finished turning yet and when I smile, I look completely different in the mouth already... Positive different, like I'm looking at somebody else's smile. My family agrees.

[toothfairy]

Because they expanded my arch and then narrowed it again to match my lower jaw (with the braces) the effect was to make my front teeth protrude outwards in the front which looks awful.

[Lazlo]

God you newbies are so ill-informed.

Upper and lower expansion has been discussed AD NAUSEUM on this f**king cite.

To make a long story short you'll have a hard time finding anyone to do lower jaw expansion.

The upper jaw is expanded as an alternative to bicupsid removal to deal with crowding (unfortunately something i had done which made my arch smaller than it could have been).

Though the upper is limited by how wide the lower is. If you have a lower narrow jaw, you're upper can't be expanded that much. But theoretically you can expand both to fit all your teeth.

This doctor does both, but it's not recommended. First high morbidity of lower teeth, that is you have a high chance of losing some lower teeth since this surgery is very invasive. Second, you'll have to wear a terribly uncomfortable device around your lower teeth and gums for upto at least 9months to a year. Then remember you have to do the same procedure to your upper jaw!

This guy does it. I talked to him and one of the guys who invented the procedure. This dr. kasey li guy said he'd see me for a consoultation but then someone else said forget it.

I should have just had upper expansion without any tooth removal. I didn't know s**t like 3 years ago when I first got braces.
http://www.sleepapneasurgery.com/maxillomandibular_expansion_children.html