Maxillary Expansion: Removable Appliances, MARPE, and Surgically Assisted Rapid Palatal Expansion (SARPE)
Maxillary Expansion: Removable Appliances, MARPE, and Surgically Assisted Rapid Palatal Expansion (SARPE)
Course overview
Maxillary expansion requires precise diagnosis and an individualized choice of protocol taking into account the patient's age, the degree of transverse deficiency, and the condition of the palatal suture. Errors at the diagnostic stage can lead to selecting inappropriate appliances, insufficient expansion, or treatment complications.
This course is dedicated to the modern approach to diagnosing and treating transverse deficiencies of the maxilla — from analysis of digital models and CBCT to appliance selection and surgically assisted expansion.
Within the course you will learn:
Diagnosis of transverse deficiencies of the maxilla using digital models and CBCT, including the Penn method
Features of assessing maxillary width in growing patients
Assessment of the palatal suture condition and its significance for treatment strategy selection
Protocols for maxillary expansion in children and adolescents
Choice between tooth-borne appliances and skeletal anchorage (MARPE)
Appliance activation parameters, combination with other orthodontic appliances, and result monitoring
Indications and clinical protocols for SARPE
Typical errors and complications with different methods of maxillary expansion.
The course will help you build a sequential algorithm — from diagnosing transverse deficiency to selecting the optimal expansion method and monitoring its outcome.
Course lessons
Lesson 1. Surgically Assisted Maxillary Expansion (SARPE)
Indications for SARPE: when orthodontic expansion is no longer sufficient
Diagnosis and planning of surgically assisted expansion
Clinical case 1: step-by-step SARPE protocol
Clinical case 2: alternative clinical scenario and particularities of the approach
Errors and complications: at the planning stage, during surgery, and during appliance activation
Outcome control: assessment of expansion effectiveness and subsequent orthodontic strategy.
Lesson 2. Maxillary Expansion in Children and Adolescents: Appliance Selection and Clinical Protocols
Clinical case 1. Early mixed dentition:
Indications for maxillary expansion
Appliance selection and activation screw parameters
Combination with other orthodontic appliances
Typical errors, complications, and ways to prevent them.
Clinical case 2. Adolescent age:
Choice between tooth-borne support and skeletal anchorage (MARPE)
Criteria for selecting the expansion method
Screw activation parameters and outcome control
Typical errors and complications.
Lesson 3. Diagnosis of Transverse Deficiencies of the Maxilla
Assessment of maxillary width: which diagnostic data truly determine the treatment strategy
Transverse analysis using digital models: biometric parameters and key landmarks
Transverse analysis using CBCT: the Penn method and assessment of skeletal deficiency
Growing patients: features of assessing maxillary width at different developmental stages
Palatal suture condition: assessment of its maturation degree and impact on the choice of expansion method
From diagnosis to treatment: how to determine indications for different expansion protocols.
