Maxillary and mandibular dentoalveolar expansion with an auxiliary beta-titanium arch

Traditionally, adult patients with mild to moderate transverse discrepancies are treated with a combination of slow maxillary expansion with palatal appliances and expanded archwires. In this case report, we describe an alternative approach for anterior crowding and excessive buccal corridors in a 20-year-old man who was treated using a beta-titanium auxiliary expansion archwire. The perceived benefit of this approach was related not only to the esthetic improvement of the smile resulting from elimination of the anterior crowding and reduction of the buccal corridors, but also to the minimal disruption of the patient's speech, which was his main functional concern.