5.1 Intro to MARPE (aka MSE)
This is Chapter 5.1 of the JawHacks ebook. See the full Table of Contents here.
Defining MARPE (aka Nasomaxillary Expansion)
Now that we have understood the dangers of “less invasive” tooth-borne expansion, we can begin to explore bone-borne expansion with a more open mind, knowing it is our only safe and effective option.
MARPE stands for Micro-implant Assisted Rapid Palatal Expansion. It's an orthodontic technique used to widen the upper jaw and nasal cavity.
It is an umbrella term that includes various specific techniques like MSE (Maxillary Skeletal Expander), Partner’s Custom MARPE, and FME (Facegenics Midface Expander).
Anatomically, it involves splitting the maxilla in the left-right (i.e. transverse) direction along the mid-palatal suture. Because the maxilla doubles as both the roof of the mouth and the floor of the nose, this results in a simultaneous direct widening of the palate as well as the nasal bone.