Generally, our treatments start with foundational development, what we consider step 1 (of 3 potential interventions). It is designed to gently guide healthy facial growth and create the space needed for proper breathing, tongue posture, and overall balance. This treatment typically involves using an upper cemented expander and a lower expander, which may be either cemented or removable depending on your child’s needs.
The goal of expansion therapy is to help the face and jaws grow in all the right directions—creating room for the tongue, supporting better airway function, and encouraging a more harmonious facial structure. Because the airway is three-dimensional, expansion happens in multiple ways. Side-to-side expansion is achieved through small, at-home turns of the expander. Vertical growth improves as the lower teeth are uprighted, creating more space for the tongue. In certain cases, especially for children with an underbite (known as a Class III bite), we may also use reverse-pull headgear worn at night to gently encourage forward growth of the upper jaw.
Most treatments last between 6 and 12 months, with visits every 4 to 6 weeks for progress checks. During these visits, we measure your child’s growth, adjust the expanders as needed, and perform gentle cranial manipulations to support balance and symmetry. The skull is made up of 22 bones connected by sutures—tiny joints that remain slightly movable even into adulthood. Sometimes these sutures can become restricted due to early-life tension or small bumps and falls, which are common as children grow. Through gentle hands-on techniques or the use of a percussor, we help restore natural movement in these sutures, promoting balanced facial development and improved function.
Our goal is to support your child’s growth from the foundation up—helping them breathe easier, sleep better, and develop in a way that supports long-term health and confidence.
If you’d like to learn more or schedule an evaluation to see if your child (as young as age 4) may be a candidate for foundational craniofacial development, please contact our office.
