Maxillary Expansion: From Past to Present

Maxillary expansion is a common treatment option for upper crowded dentition and posterior lingual crossbite in children and adolescents. As the midpalatal suture is not yet completely interlocked at these ages, the midpalatal suture can be opened via maxillary expansion to increase the length and width of the upper arch. This solves the problems of posterior crossbite and upper crowded dentition. Since the midpalatal suture is stiff in adults, many clinicians believe that adults require surgical intervention to achieve maxillary expansion. However, recent reports indicated that several cases have been treated successfully with the aid of TADs for maxillary expansion. This article discusses the various protocols for performing maxillary expansion from past to present.