Can jaw narrowing problems be solved with orthodontic treatment alone, or is surgical intervention necessary?

The treatment of jaw narrowing (usually maxillary narrowing) varies greatly depending on the stage of bone development in the patient. In children and young adolescents (generally up to 15-16 years of age) who are still growing and developing, the midline suture (palatal suture) connecting the right and left halves of the upper jaw has not yet ossified, so the jawbone can be successfully widened non-surgically using only orthodontic appliances (palatal expanders, rapid maxillary expanders). However, in adults aged 18 and over, whose growth and development are complete and whose bone structure is fully fused, it is not possible to achieve skeletal jaw widening using only palatal expanders or braces. In adult patients, orthodontic treatment must be combined with jaw surgery operations such as SARPE (Surgical Assisted Rapid Palatal Expansion) to resolve jaw narrowing.