aligned. Functional + Cosmetic Orthodontics

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09/08/2026

Can’t complain to me, I’ll just complain back

06/29/2026

🦷 Child jaws growing on the wrong trajectory can significantly impact facial development, airway growth, and teeth alignment. Here’s how:

Small jaws create more constricted airways, which can squish the tongue into the airway, and narrowing airflow through the nose, leading to several concerning signs:

- Mouth breathing
- Snoring
- Restless sleep
- Chronic congestion
- Ear infections
- Hyperactivity
- Teeth grinding

When there isn’t enough space for teeth, crowding inside the jaw with developing adult teeth can result in:

- Teeth growing in the wrong direction
- Shark teeth behind lower baby teeth
- Over-retained baby teeth
- Little to no spacing between baby teeth
- Tooth impaction

That’s why early evaluation by an airway-focused orthodontist is crucial! They assess jaw development, airway inflammation, screen for sleep disordered breathing, and even tongue ties. Not every child needs intervention, but ages 5-9 are critical for proper facial and brain growth. Let’s ensure they get the oxygen they need, and the room for all those teeth, before they have a 10-car pile up!

06/24/2026

The Jaw-Sleep Apnea Connection 🌙

Did you know that small jaws are literally what causes obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in many cases? 😮 Jaw surgery, specifically maxillomandibular advancement (MMA) often with widening of the maxilla has shown remarkable results in treating the root cause of sleep apnea.

According to a meta-analysis by Holty and Guilleminault (2010), which included 627 adults with OSA, the mean Apnea-Hypopnea Index (AHI) decreased from 63.9/hr to 9.5/hr after surgery! With a surgical success rate of 86% and a cure rate of 43.2%, jaw surgery is a game changer for those looking for a root-cause improvement for their sleep apnea! 📉✨

If you or someone you know struggles with OSA, exploring jaw surgery might lead to better sleep and improved health. Of course, you can try a CPAP, but this does not fix the root cause. Everyone deserves a good night’s sleep, including the person sleeping next to you 😬🫶🏼😴💤

The reason teeth 🦷 are crowded - is simply because the jaws are too small!! This can look like a narrow upper jaw with ...
06/20/2026

The reason teeth 🦷 are crowded - is simply because the jaws are too small!! This can look like a narrow upper jaw with rolled inwards lower teeth, a recessed lower jaw, recessed upper jaw, and/or both jaws recessed. For my own kids, I like to tackle small jaws early - while the adult teeth in the jaw are trying to find their runway - otherwise they’ll already start twisting and potentially going in the wrong direction if they’re squished in a small jaw. I recently expanded my 3.5-year-old’s upper jaw due to thumb sucking, which was causing a high, narrow palate with baby teeth crowding. This expansion not only broke the thumb sucking habit but also widened the palate and lower arch (to match the upper expansion), creating proper spacing between baby teeth.

Additionally, this process opens the nasal passageway, allowing for better airflow through the nose and providing room for the tongue within the wider palate - hence allowing the tongue to live more spread out and forward and less squished into the throat airway (opening the entire airway - nasal tip to base of tongue and below).

06/16/2026

✨ Braces have come a long way in the last decade! ✨

Advancements in customized digital planning have revolutionized accuracy, ensuring that every bracket is perfectly shaped and glued on for optimal results. Combine this with MARPE/MASPE expansion techniques for teens and adults with narrow upper jaws, and we’re truly changing the game!

These innovations are not just about aesthetics; they significantly improve treatment time and reduce the number of appointments needed while enhancing alignment quality and even breathing.

06/03/2026

And our June EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH is… Benito! Yet again 😬 I’m starting to think the voting is rigged 🥸🐶

05/31/2026

MASPE/MARPE Update: 4mm into expansion, and I got an almond sliver stuck somewhere by my band!! I was worried it might ruin one of the screws due to inflammation, but after four days of digging and aggressive water picking, it’s improving! 🥵🥴.

Overall, I’m smooth sailing with no pain, no gap, and no issues! Nasal breathing is great 👍🏼👌🏼

04/22/2026

**MARPE/MASPE Update**

Aligner 9 is in, and my gap is almost closed! 🎉 I’ve received so many requests to keep it that I’m tempted to bring it back. What do you think? 😜

Expansion: Currently at 2mm out of a total of 6mm expanded.

Nasal Breathing: Much improved! I’m experiencing more passive breathing with less resistance and decent airflow. However, I still find myself mouth breathing during those intense peleton rides.

Pain: None! 😌

Inflammation: Still a bit of irritation in some areas of the palatal tissue, but it’s manageable.

Food: The struggle continues! I’m still avoiding anything crunchy and chewy, which is a bit annoying.

04/14/2026

🌟 MASPE 3.5 Week Update🌟

I’m genuinely impressed by how quickly my body has adjusted to this hunk of metal and six bone screws in my maxilla! Wow, humans are *incredibly* adaptable!

Speech: I really turned a corner around the two-week mark. My tongue has fully adjusted—no more soreness, and talking is much easier now. Honestly, I hardly think about it anymore!

Eating: It’s still a bit annoying, but it’s getting better. The Metal bands are tough to chew with. Right now, I’m sticking to eggs for breakfast, protein shakes for lunch, and meat and veggies for dinner. I’m avoiding anything crunchy, super chewy, or nuts. Watch out for long, cooked veggies—they can get stuck in the expander and down your throat, which is a choking hazard!

Pain: Surprisingly, I’ve experienced no pain since the placement. Maybe I’m just lucky?! I still don’t feel any pressure when I turn the expander. The only time my teeth get sore is when I change my aligners, but it’s totally manageable.

04/06/2026

Day 14 MASPE: Turned a corner! My tongue feels so much better and has no soreness at all. I’m trying normal foods, still annoying and packing in the expander of course, but able to tolerate it more.
Wearing the aligners on my schedule I made for myself. One turn every 4-5 days and then switch the aligner and do another turn. Everyone should have their own customized schedule guided by their Orthodontist - do not follow what I’m doing.
The aligners being on make the gap almost not noticeable, but tooth colored soft wax completely eliminates the gap in the aligner, if that’s important to you.
I’ll update halfway through my expansion in a couple of months and then again once I complete it!

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1215 S Pearl Street
Denver, CO
80210

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