Metal Mouth Message Board

Several times on this message board, I've heard people say that while palatal expansion can't be achieved (most of the time) in adults, you can still broaden the smile and create the illusion of expansion by tipping the teeth outwards.

What does this mean exactly? Does this mean pushing the teeth outwards within the constraints of the jaw bone (without actually expanding the bone itself), or does this literally mean "tipping" the teeth out at an angle; that the teeth stay rooted in place, and they're just slanted outwards. For someone with relatively upright teeth, wouldn't this create an unattractive flared look?

I've also read that expansion in adults who have a very narrow palate is almost impossible without surgical assistance, but if the palate is already relatively normal sized and the expansion is mostly for cosmetics, it isn't as difficult. Is this true? What about the argument that very slow, 'natural' forces are able to expand the maxilla at any age? For someone under the age of 21, is broadening your smile with braces a realistic goal? (Or something that an orthodontist would even take seriously if it was a non-medically necessary request).

In the context you're referring to, I think 'tipping' means pushing the teeth outwards within the constraints of the jaw (without true bone expansion), but there is a risk that the teeth can be slanted outwards if expansion is done too quickly in adults.

I've heard the argument that you can't expand an adult's jaw without surgery, but I'm pretty certain I've achieved true palatal expansion through a slow, non-surgical approach (I'm 27 and began my first orthodontic treatment at 23-24). My jaw was exceedingly narrow and underdeveloped (which led to pretty bad crowding and a lot of 'black spaces' when I smiled), but my orthodontist managed to make my smile really quite wide and my teeth straight without extractions.

In the context you're referring to, I think 'tipping' means pushing the teeth outwards within the constraints of the jaw (without true bone expansion), but there is a risk that the teeth can be slanted outwards if expansion is done too quickly in adults.

That's good to know. How much 'expansion' do you think you can get just by tipping the teeth out within the jaw?

I've also heard that expansion is only risky if you try to do it quickly, and that if you do it slowly you don't have to worry about slanting teeth, gum recession, root damage, etc.. I just wasn't sure how credible that statement is, because it seems like there's so many differing opinions on how safe/effective expansion is you don't even know who's right anymore.

You said that your jaw was "exceedingly" narrow and your orthodontist still gave you a lot of expansion. How big of a change did you see exactly? For someone with a relatively normal sized palate, do you think expansion would be a lot easier? And was your expansion medically necessary, or did you have it done for cosmetic reasons only? I'm a little worried that orthodontists won't take you seriously if you bring up expansion that's not medically necessary (that it'll be seen as nitpicking so long as you have straight teeth).