This idea is based off @TGW's strategy of filing down the anterior section of his transverse expander so that it didn't touch his front teeth. As we know, the danger of the Y plate is that it can cause flaring rather than remodeling.
But.
What if we filed down the front of the V shaped section so that it doesn't touch the teeth at all, but leave the center area in a little rectangular pad like that of the AGGA? It's already molded to fit the palate. My thought is that maybe you could expand at a rate of 1 mm a week, and get actual forward remodeling without engaging the anterior teeth at all, and then discontinue using the center plate when enough growth has been achieved and move onto transverse expansion, mimicking the controlled arch phase of AGGA treatment.
Basically it is... except!!!!! If you widen the back part, your jaw can get disarticulated. The regular AGGA/FAGGA/CDA doesn't mess too much with the jaws. If you don't move the back part at first, and only the front... a Y-shaped is a LOT like an AGGA/FAGGA/CDA. The front control bar needs to be adjusted to limit tooth flare. You'll likely get some, but trying to minimize it can be helpful. Maybe I'm blowing smoke, but it sure seems hypothetically possible. Also... the one shown here is probably not my favored choice... because the angle of the front portion of the Y is fairly narrow from others I've seen... however I like that the turn-key is far enough back to really get at the guts of the maxilla. The thing is... I have heard and it kind of makes sense... that if you start with the back part... that is fine and all, but then pushing the front out can actually cause the back teeth to revert back. So, the better place to start is with the front if you're going to try it. However!!! It totally depends on WAY too many factors to really explain here... age... lower jaw growth, bite, all that. To always start side to side or always start with the front doesn't always make sense. For example, if you go all three ways... that can often give the most forward growth. The reason why is because the bottom teeth will keep the front teeth more forward... so instead of wasting ALL forward growth from bottom incisors in the forward portion of the Y advancement... there's an option for a little bit of skeletal advancement of the maxilla by activating all 3 at the same time. The back portions can disarticulate the jaw to advance somewhat. However, typically skeletal advancement can drop the eyes.... so as you'll often see from Dr. Bill Dickerson's models of doing things (more AGGA... and somewhat less focus on widening)... he gets thinner faces with bigger eyes and lips. This can be nice. It ALL depends on what you're trying to accomplish.
So, I'll try to explain a little bit. I am NOT a fan of orthodontic treatment for kids. I think there are just too many natural ways to help them out. Therefore, if you really want to know about Schwartz for kids, just PM me. It's super complex, but really simple.
Would it still cause flaring if it had been filed back so it didn't actually touch the front teeth, though?
Skull and Jaw Correction
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