Palatal Expansion – Creating Space for Healthy Growth, Breathing, and Sleep
Most people think of orthodontic expansion as just a way to make room for crowded teeth. But in airway-focused dentistry, expansion means something much more powerful: making space for the tongue, nasal passages, and airflow.
At Integrative Family Dentistry, we use growth-guided expansion tools like Myobrace® to help kids breathe better, sleep deeper, and develop properly, often without the need for braces later on.
What Is Palatal Expansion?
Expansion refers to widening the upper jaw (the maxilla) to:
Create space for permanent teeth
Open the nasal airway
Support proper tongue posture
Improve breathing and facial growth
The roof of the mouth is also the floor of the nose so when the palate is too narrow, it limits airflow through the nose and restricts tongue space. This often results in mouth breathing, poor sleep, and crowded teeth.
Why Start Early?
Children’s jaws are still growing, which makes early expansion gentle and incredibly effective. Starting between ages 5–10 can:
Prevent the need for extractions or braces later
Improve sleep-disordered breathing
Support nasal breathing and better posture
Promote balanced, healthy facial development
What Is Myobrace®?
Myobrace® is a preventive pre-orthodontic system that uses soft, removable appliances combined with myofunctional exercises. It addresses the root causes of poor oral development like mouth breathing, low tongue posture, and incorrect swallowing patterns.
Benefits of Myobrace:
✅ Promotes nasal breathing
✅ Supports jaw development
✅ Improves muscle function
✅ Encourages proper tooth alignment
✅ Comfortable, non-invasive, no brackets or wires
Myobrace works best when combined with myofunctional therapy, which helps retrain the tongue and facial muscles to support long-term success.
Our Airway Approach to Expansion
At our practice, expansion isn’t about cosmetics, it’s about function. We collaborate with ENTs, myofunctional therapists, and other specialists to create treatment plans that address:
Underdeveloped jaws
Mouth breathing
Poor sleep quality
Speech and feeding challenges
The earlier we identify these concerns, the better the outcomes, for teeth, for breathing, and for life.
