Palatal arch expander assembly and method of adjusting

A method for applying expansion forces to the palatal arch utilizing an archwire assembly providing low, constant corrective forces provided by an archwire formed of a nickel-titanium alloy, the archwire having a pair of ends for insertion into and attachment to a crimp tube, a pair of adjustment wires each having a distal end and a proximal end, the distal ends of the adjustment wires each having a bend for facilitating the application of correcting forces to the molars such as angulation, rotation or torsion, independent of the forces on each molar and independent of the forces created by the archwire, the distal ends of the adjustment wires being inserted into and attached to the crimp tube, at least a portion of the adjustment wires are attached to a pair of stems, the stems are adapted for insertion into a pair of sheaths mounted on opposed molars, the method comprising:

• cooling the archwire to a temperature below its transition temperature so that the archwire is in its martensitic state where it is malleable and can be easily manipulated;
• bending the archwire to reduce the overall size prior to insertion into the mouth of the patient;
• inserting the archwire assembly into the mouth of the patient and aligning and inserting the stems into the sheaths on the respective molars;
• allowing the archwire to warm to a temperature above the transition temperature to the austenitic state;
• providing low, constant expansion forces to the palatal arch as the archwire seeks to return to its preformed shape in the austenitic state.

A palatal arch expander assembly, comprising:

• an archwire made from a superelastic alloy and configured to substantially span the palatal arch, said archwire having a pair of ends;
• a pair of adjustment wires, each said adjustment wire having a distal end and a proximal end, each said distal end having a bend for facilitating the application of correcting forces to the molars such as angulation, rotation or torsion, independent of the forces on each molar and independent of the forces created by the archwire, and each of said proximal ends extending anteriorally for a distance;
• a pair of crimp tubes for receiving said ends of said archwire and said distal and said distal ends of said adjustment wires;
• a pair of stems, each of said stems adapted for receiving said adjustment wires;
• whereby the palatal arch expander assembly is mounted in the palatal arch, generally to the lingual surface of opposed molars to expand the palatal arch and to provide correcting forces to the molars such as angulation, rotation or torsion.