How Palate Expansion Helped Our Sons’ Sinus Issues
This post may contain affiliate links from which I will earn a commission. Learn more in our disclosure.
We’ve had many health issues in our family – candida, gut health, life-threatening food allergies, autism, low iron, anxiety, hay fever, and more. But one of the most persistent issues has been chronic sinusitis–inflammation of the sinuses. I have mild sinus issues due to seasonal allergies at different times of the year, and my sons had varying degrees of sinus problems that plagued them throughout their childhood.
I’m not one to go for the meds in these cases because of what I went through myself throughout my life. I took way too many allergy meds throughout my life, and even ended up overdosing on Afrin (a nasal decongestant spray), which is NOT a pleasant experience.
So I’m always looking these days for a natural solution to our ailments. I know we seem a little “uber crunchy” for some, but in an effort to avoid meds, we’ve used the following natural remedies:
- ear infection remedies
- antibacterial essential oils
- wart remedies
- head tension remedies
- sleep remedies and
- autism support.
When it came to my sons’ sinus issues, pretty much every night I would have to clean out my youngest’s nose as he would have daily buildup of mucus and such that would make night breathing difficult for him (and anything that disturbs a little one’s sleep will for sure disturb mom’s sleep, so it’s best to find a solution if at all possible.
Between the two of my boys, my oldest had the worst of the sinus problems – apparently it was chronic sinusitis. His nose was pretty much clogged all. the. time.
His voice was constantly nasally, he was blowing his nose all the time (but it pretty much yielded no benefits) and he would even chew with his mouth open since he just couldn’t breathe.
I don’t know about you, but I can’t stand having a clogged nose. I felt so bad for him.
We tried so many things for my oldest. He’s been on a candida diet for a long time, has been gluten-free as well since approximately age 8 after his diagnosis with Asperger’s Syndrome, and he has been dairy-free his whole life since dairy is one of his life-threatening food allergies.
We even tried natural saline sprays.
Nothing worked.
Fast forward to about 1 year ago.
We were going around town looking for an orthodontist to work on my sons’ teeth. I really thought that my oldest’s teeth were pretty straight and that he didn’t need much work, but my youngest’s were fairly crowded on the bottom.
So we visited one orthodontist to see what he thought.
***He recommended braces for both boys. I hadn’t noticed it, but my oldest’s midline was off a bit and needed work.
For my youngest, he recommended an expander and braces. We call him “Goober” sometimes and Goober had inherited my narrow upper jaw.
I left with my $6000 estimate in hand, feeling the pain, but knowing it was worth it to take care of my boys.
We ended up getting a second opinion (a good idea when you’re about to drop $6K) and then a third. At the third orthodontist’s office we sat down–once again–to get a free consultation.
The result?
I was shocked.
In the middle of the consultation, the orthodontist asked:
“So, do your boys have sinus issues?”
“Ummmm..Yes,” I replied, not knowing why he was asking this.
“I thought so,” he said.
He poked around in my sons’ mouths again for awhile and then stepped aside to tell me his recommendations.
Expanders for both boys, in addition to the already mentioned braces for both.
I really couldn’t believe it.
See, my oldest’s upper jaw was quite wide so I couldn’t think there was any way he would need to be expanded. Plus the other orthodontists hadn’t suggested it. So I sat there in disbelief, and then asked “Why?” Why did my oldest need an expander when his upper jaw was already so wide?
The orthodontist proceeded to show me the problem.
Though my oldest’s upper jaw appeared to be the right size, in comparison to his lower, it was still narrow.
He then proceeded to explain more about his reasoning.
The Problems of a Narrow Jaw or Narrow Palate
When the jaw is too narrow, the breathing passages are compromised.
can lead to all kinds of issues including:
Chronic Sinusitis Can Lead to:
- lower oxygen concentration in blood
- mouth breathing
- poor growth and weight in children
- abnormal facial development
- abnormal dental development
- sleep apnea
- sleeping disorders
- high blood pressure
- cardiac arrest
- impaired learning and memory
- ADHD, depression, anxiety, social withdrawal, aggression, and bullying
- increased risk of hypertension and heart problems
It’s my opinion that a narrow palette is a problem of epidemic proportion in our modern society and that we could alleviate many health issues by simply expanding the palettes of our children prior to doing other orthodontic care.
As always, I am not a doctor (nor an orthodontist) and I do not pretend to be one on TV. This post is not to be considered medical advice and is for entertainment purposes only and you should consult your physician prior to making any changed in your diet or your oral care.
To see a visual demonstration of how the airways expand when using a palate expander, see the images below. Source.
The images on the left are before palate expansion, showing a more narrow airway.
The image on the right shows the widening of the airways after palate expansion.
Unbelievable, isn’t it?
Our orthodontist showed us x-ray images of patients who had palate expansions done so we could see the increase in their airway passages.
I was intrigued.
And we decided to go forward with it.
Palate Expansion Results
My boys had palette expanders put in the roof of their mouths, and my youngest had an expander put in the lower part of his mouth as well.
Every day we had to insert a little “key” into a hole in the upper expander to make it a tad wider.
Little by little their jaws expanded.
their front teeth got spaces in between them…
They had to work really hard at flossing with all of that metal in their mouths and we ended up buying Waterpiks which were a life saver.
I really really like these – not as a substitute for flossing but they do a great job.
And one day I noticed.
Their sinus issues had improved greatly.
- No more “gunk in the nose” every night.
- No more constant nose blowing.
- No more continual open-mouth chewing (though it is a bit of a struggle due to issues apart from his sinuses).
- No more nasal voice.
- I was thrilled.
How fascinating.
Orthodontia, the Narrow Jaw and Chronic Sinusitis
When I was younger, the main way that orthodontia was approached regarding narrow palates was to pull teeth.
It happened to me and I am not very upset that it did. It was typically called “four on the floor” since orthodontists would typically pull 4 teeth to make room for the other crowded teeth (and I guess they wouldn’t sometimes just drop the teeth on the floor after pulling them :).)
Now, orthodontists know better.
A wide jaw makes for:
A Happy Jaw.
and Happy Teeth,
a Happy Tongue, and–
Happy sinuses!
Now we can use the saline spray less frequently, my boys will sleep better, have more oxygenated blood, will likely get sick less frequently, which means they will need fewer natural illness remedies and will almost for sure avoid antibiotics and ear infections, which makes for a very very happy natural momma :).
Jaw Expansion for Adults?
So what’s an adult to do? Your jaw is pretty much set unless you have super invasive surgery, right?
Wrong.
Thankfully, a company called Vivos has figured out a way to literally expand an adult, fully-formed jaw. Non invasive.
Vivos Life is FDA approved to address mild to moderate sleep apnea, and I can tell you from personal experience that it’s literally life changing.
I almost never get a stuffy nose any longer, and while I was getting signs of apnea developing, they have resolved. Apnea is no joke, and no thanks to that CPAP machine – what a cumbersome mess that I’d like to avoid any way that I can!
It’s not cheap, but more and more it’s getting covered by insurance so I encourage you to check and see if it is where you live.
Do your children, or do you, have a narrow jaw?
Have you heard of palate expansion before?
Hey Adrienne,
Just wanted to ask you couple of questions because I am in similar situation as your son. I believe I have a narrow palate (because I had tongue tie) and I think because of it I always have stuffy nose (one nostril only actually). Did your kid had a single nostril blocked as well or was it both? and is it treatable for a person aged 22 years old?
Thanks!! 🙂
I have found one way w/o surgery called orthotropics but from my best estimates it is about 30K to treat and may or may not work. Not sure. Might take 12 years or so. The other way is palate surgery. Not fun but looks like it might be worth it for some. 🙂
Waleed
It has been a long time since I wrote this but I am having the same problem as you. Especially my one nostril is blocked. I have asymmetry on my face. I hope you solved your problem?
My husband has sinus issues but not the nasal issues you described. I was hoping to figure out how to fix sinus issues without surgery… Not nasal issues. The sinuses above your eyes…
I’m sorry for not responding sooner – I’ve been swamped here. I am not sure what else to say but I would think they are connected aren’t they?
Hopefully, orthodontists are more enlightened than the one I went to 40 years ago who split my upper palate because my upper jaw was too narrow. What he didn’t seem to have done was to match my upper and lower jaws. As a result, I was left with what is called a cross-bite where my upper and lower teeth don’t meet. Instead, the upper teeth extend about 1/4″ beyond the lower. This makes it harder to chew my food thoroughly, and it puts more stress on upper and lower teeth from the force of chewing not being evenly distributed among the teeth.
Oh no. I am so sorry to hear that!!! 🙁
I wish I had known about this! I had a LOT of ear infections as a kid. I didn’t get a palate expander until sometime in high school. I wonder if this would have helped me…
I wonder too. I so wish I had gotten it done – looking at adult options now.
I had palate expansion as a teenager before braces. Unfortunately I think it has shrunken back because I can tell my teeth aren’t meeting as they used to, and the retainer I wore for years (I left it out a few too many nights while pregnant/nursing I suppose) doesn’t fit well.
Oh no. I wonder what happened! I wouldn’t think the bones would go back. Perhaps your teeth moved?
Based on the way my teeth are now meeting, I think it closed up. It sounds crazy that it could happen; I had the expander to correct for a crossbite and that’s the kind of bite I have again. I’ve thought about an orthodontic consultation, but in the midst of life with little ones right now it isn’t happening. A bigger issue for me is that I clench my teeth.
Hmmm…I would talk to a good ortho about it. And I have a bite splint which I think is crucial. Hope you can get resolution.
A wonderful solution! Sure which I had the know how (about food allergies) and my orthodontists (yes, I had several over the childhood) had thought of expanders! It would have made a huge difference. And I’d have at 10 more teeth. 🙂
Wow – 10. I so wish my ortho had known about this. Sigh.
Wow!!! I wish I would have known this with my oldest child. Her jaw was so small that she had six teeth pulled. And also her experience with the oral surgeon was terrible. I am SO glad pulling teeth does not need to be an option. My two youngest who are now three and a half, and four and a half, we’ll have to keep a close eye on to see if they need expanders. I know you are not an expert, but this information is still important to be aware of for needless surgery, and help with their sinuses. Thank you so much!
Blessings,
Joanne
You are so welcome!! I hope this really helps and wish I had known this when I was younger. Blessings!
Two good articles that came to mind when reading your post:
https://nourishedkitchen.com/the-teeth-tell-the-tale/
(Link deleted by Whole New Mom due to it not working anymore)
Thanks for sharing your experiences!
Allison
Thanks for sharing! Now I just need something for my palate :).
Did you see Dr. Flood? What doctor said to to the expanders?
No, he isn’t an orthodontist. I have never taken my kids there. It was Ambrecht Orthodontics.
Hi Adrienne! Can you tell me how old your kids were when they started their treatment? Did they have occlusion problems before their treatment? How much did you have to expand their upper jaw? Do they have to wear permanent retainers and for how long? How did the treatment affect their facial profile and lower jaw/chin so far? How is their occlusion now? Do you know how stable the results would be after the treatment with no retention(no retainers used)? I also have a son (almost 8 years old:)) who keeps his mouth open most of the time and eats with his mouth open. He said he keeps his mouth open because his nose is clogged! He has perfect occlusion and not enough space in the lower jaw for one permanent lateral incisor to come out (he had shark teeth in the front of the lower jaw at age 5 and 4 of his baby teeth were extracted because of it but we were a bit late with that). We chose to go with Armbrecht but I still have some concerns (over-expansion and stability). My son has got a rapid palatal expander and in a month he will get some kind of a retainer in the lower jaw to tilt his teeth forward a bit and hopefully create some extra space in the lower jaw to take care of the crowding there. Please respond soon:)? Thank you.
HI there. My oldest is the only one who had occlusion issues as far as I remember. The oldest is still in braces and the youngest was only given a temporary retainer. Their profiles look better in my opinion. I was surprised that my oldest needed expanding but the ortho pointed out that his lower jaw was more wider than the upper. I have not heard about this not being permanent as the jaw doesn’t move much, correct? Both of my boys’ sinuses were improved. Have you asked your ortho about the concerns – and if so, what did he say?
Thank you for responding so quickly! I hope I did not scare you with my message. I really like my son’s orthodontist. He seems very nice, listens to his patients’ concerns and is airway conscientious; all good there. I was also told that my son’s upper jaw is smaller than his lower jaw. His midline is off, there is crowding in the lower jaw and his permanent teeth in the upper jaw looked kinda big on his panoramic x-ray. Also the airway looks kind of narrow on his ceph x-ray. My son has hard time falling asleep and sweats a lot while sleeping. He keeps his mouth open during the day and at night. All these are good reasons to do the expansion. I just don’t like the idea of wearing fixed/permanent retainer for a couple of years (that is until all his permanent teeth erupt-I don’t know how many years we are talking about here) while his face and jaws/maxilla are developing and growing or, even scarier, for the rest of his life. This is already bad enough. I did ask the ortho about over-expansion and possibility of not wearing retainer and he said that it is really hard to over-expand and that if you match jaws well and early enough that the results can be very stable even without using retainer in some people. There is always if :). I think you can have a relapse when expanding upper jaw while your new bone is still being formed (around 50% regression if you take expander out 3 months after the expansion and not use retainer). I am not sure what happens if you keep it there for 6 to 9 month or longer. My concern is what if I create a bigger upper than lower jaw and it becomes permanent and I don’t want to use retainers. We would end up with very bad occlusion and disproportionate jaws..I am glad the facial profiles of your kids look better now. Is your younger son done with the treatment?
Interesting. What do you think about the sweating? You think it’s related to the breathing issue?
Did they tell you that he needs to wear a permanent retainer? I would just ask him all of those questions. Yes, my youngest is done. His lower teeth are still crowded some so perhaps we will have to do more….not sure. But he didn’t wear braces down there. His treatment wasn’t that expensive.
Hmm… Well, I’m glad it was urine… again. 😉 I do love my Waterpik, too.
You mean glad that it wasn’t, right :)?
Bahahaha! Definitely. 😉
You need to sign up for the Wellness Family Summit. Just take my word for it :). And listen to my talk :).
Thanks, Adrienne! I’ll check it out. 🙂
Interesting! My oldest has what I would say is a wider mouth, but she has to breathe through her mouth 8 months of each year (starting in mid-September through the winter and spring months). We’ve had her taken to the orthodontist for a few consultations, and they wanted to put braces on her, but only due to one tooth (a molar) that was slanted a bit. Nothing has ever been mentioned about her nasal passages, but I also didn’t think to ask about it, either. Maybe we’ll do a bit more research and take a look at her x-rays again to see if this would help her. But since it isn’t 24/7, I wonder if it could just be allergies?
I wouldn’t know but it could be that allergies exacerbate the narrow passages, making them swell up so much that they interfere with her breathing. I know I don’t have breathing issues year round, but my passages are very narrow so when I get stuffy I am VERY stuffy. Hope that helps :).
Well, it’s very possible that this could be a big part of her problem. She was born with a “line” from the tip of her nose to the base of her nose (visible on the underneath area of her nose), and the pediatrician said it have been the start of a cleft palette. She can barely smell anything – not even a skunk! I might print off your blog post and take it in to see our orthodontist. Thank you so much for sharing this information! 🙂
I hope it helps. I will add that the first two orthodontists didn’t catch this. I am talking to the third about myself now but it’s harder since I am an adult. You might want to shop around. Take care!
Adrienne, I’d be very interested in hearing if they could do this for an adult. Until I read this comment I thought it wouldn’t be possible.
Well, it’s a different situation w/ adults b/c our bones are done growing. One option is surgery and I am looking into others but I am just starting and have no idea if they really will work or not. If they do look promising I will be talking about it…..
Please do follow up with us about options for adults. Thank you for sharing this information!
I sure hope to. I will be contacting people about alternative things this month. Otherwise it is surgery.