Surgically assisted rapid palatal expansion: A way to treat transverse maxillary deficiency

Abstract

Transverse maxillomandibular discrepancies are a major component of several malocclusions. Transverse maxillary discrepancies are routinely corrected in growing patients with appliances that separate the median palatal and associated maxillary sutures. This type of rapid palatal expansion (RPE) is not feasible in adults, however, because of the increasing resistance of the sutures. Surgically assisted RPE is an alternative method that reduces the resistance of the closed midpalatal suture to correct maxillary constriction in an adult. It allows clinicians to achieve effective maxillary expansion in a skeletally mature patient.