Arch expansion with removable appliances
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Patients who have severely crooked teeth may require additional arch correction to create more room for the tongue to sit correctly in the roof of the mouth. This is done through the use of short-term, removable arch-expansion appliances such as the Bent Wire System™ (BWS™) and Biobloc.
Arch expansion appliances are used to widen the jaws and correct their shape. Appliances like the Biobloc (below, left) are removable and have an expansion screw in the middle. They are very efficient at widening the upper jaw, however, the disadvantage is that they intrude on the space where your tongue is meant to be resting. The BWS™ (below, right) leaves more space for the tongue to rest in the upper arch - allowing for increased arch expansion. In addition, Myolay (composite buildups of the primary molar teeth) may be required to improve jaw alignment.
