Pharyngorofacial expander appliance and protocol

A method of applying a set of forces to the upper jaw of a patient, comprising:

• a. providing a palatal expander, including:
• i. a right and a left palatal attachment plate, joined together by a transverse expansion mechanism, for changing the transverse spacing between said right and left palatal attachment plates;
• ii. a right jaw attachment portion and a left jaw attachment portion, spaced from said pair of transversely spaced palatal attachment plates;
• iii. a right stiff wire and a left stiff wire, each attached to and extending transversely from a said right and a said left palatal attachment plate, respectively, and terminating in a sagitally oriented stiff wire section;
• iv. a right sagittal expansion mechanism connecting said right sagitally oriented stiff wire section to said right jaw attachment portion and a left sagittal expansion mechanism connecting said left sagitally oriented stiff wire section to said left jaw attachment portion;
• b. attaching said right jaw attachment portion to said patient's right upper teeth, and attaching said left jaw attachment portion to said patient's left upper teeth;
• and
• c. adjusting at least one of said transverse expansion mechanism, said right sagittal expansion mechanism and said left sagittal expansion mechanism, thereby applying a selected force to said patient's upper teeth.

A method of applying a set of forces to the upper jaw of a patient, comprising:

• a. providing a palatal expander, including:
• i. a right and a left palatal attachment plate, joined together by a transverse expansion mechanism, for changing the transverse spacing between said right and said left palatal attachment plates, and wherein said right and said left palatal attachment plates each include apertures for permitting temporary anchorage devices to be used to attach said plates to the palate;
• ii. a right arm extending from said right palatal attachment plate and a left arm extending from said left palatal attachment plate, both said right and said left arm including a spring portion;
• iii. a right jaw attachment portion attached to said right arm and a left jaw attachment portion attached to said left arm
• b. attaching said right jaw attachment portion to said patient's right upper teeth, and attaching said left jaw attachment portion to said patient's left upper teeth;
• and
• c. performing one of the following actions:
• i. adjusting said transverse expansion mechanism to either push said right and said left upper teeth apart or to pull said right and said left upper teeth together, said spring portions reducing initial force after said adjusting;
• and
• ii. attaching said palatal attachment plates to said patient's palate using temporary anchorage devices and tightening or loosening said temporary anchorage devices to apply an intrusive or extrusive force to said upper teeth, said spring portions reducing initial force after said adjusting.