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07. Manual Palatal Expansion

If you have a narrow palate and/or don’t typically posture with your tongue on the roof of your mouth, you may benefit from manual palatal expansion. This technique aims to provide supportive sensory input to your palate as well as help to release your palatal bones resulting in a more relaxed neuromuscular state of being in your jaw, head, neck and even lower in your body. 

Instructions:

  1. It is best to perform this laying on your back with your head and neck supported with a pillow or towel roll. 
  2. Place your thumbs up into the front sides of your palate (around the canines) and provide a gentle outward expansion or opening stretch. Hold for 15-45 seconds. *You are pressing against your palate and not your teeth.
  3. Then move your thumbs backward along your palate just above to where your premolars are and provide a gentle outward expansion or opening stretch here for 15-45 seconds. 
  4. Move your thumbs back along your palate just above where your molars are for a stretch here holding for 15-45 seconds. 
  5. Move your thumbs to the front of your palate (above your front teeth) and perform a gentle forwards stretch for 15-45 seconds. 

Perform this sequence 1-3x, 1-3x/day. *Unless otherwise directed

 

Using the Manual Palatal Expansion test to determine if you need expansion based orthodontia

  1. Perform a few Physical Resonance Tests to get a baseline of how you feel and your current range of motion. Specifically check the neck, shoulder and the nasal occlusion breathing tests.
  2. Perform manual palatal expansion using lateral and forward pressure on your palate using your thumbs
  3. Immediately re-test your neck and breathing and determine if it is better or worse than the baseline with the bite condition..

If your neck range of motion and/or breathing improve:

 

 

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