Unilateral maxillary expansion using an expander device supported in mini-implants (MARPE)

Vol. 15 – Number 60 – 2022 Case report Page 52-61 Unilateral maxillary expansion using an expander device supported in mini-implants (MARPE) Edson Homem Neto¹ Daniel Poletto² Carla Rodrigues Lopes³ Abstract Rapid Maxillary Expansion (RME) has been an effective alternative for correcting facial deformities with the use of circuit breakers. In the current literature there are many articles related to maxillary expansion supported by miniscrews (MARPE) and the use of this system helping in many upper transverse corrections, especially in adult individuals without the need for assisted surgery. With the evolution of the technique, some authors have suggested corticoperforations over the palatine raphe in order to weaken this structure, favoring hemimaxillas separation. More recently, it was complemented with perforations also in the infrazygomatic crest region, facilitating even more the transversal gain and in some cases correcting the facial asymmetry with a unilateral expansion. When performing unilateral perforations in one of the infrazygomatic ridges, we can observe a greater amount of lateral displacement of the maxilla on the side where the ridge was weakened. The confirmation in radiographs and tomographies of this greater unilateral gain opens a new horizon for face asymmetric corrections. The objective of this work is to substantiate this type of correction and the greater unilateral displacement of the maxilla after using this system. Descriptors: Facial asymmetry, palatal expansion technique, malocclusion. ¹ Ingá University Center, Orthodontics – Cascavel – Paraná – Brazil. ² Universidade Paranaense Unipar, Dentistry – Francisco Beltrão – Paraná – Brazil. ³ Centro Universitário Inga, Graduate student in Orthodontics – Cascavel – Paraná – Brazil. DOI: 10.24077/2022;1559-02005147