Patients with a too narrow upper jaw often suffer from, a.o., reduced chewing ability, accelerated tooth wear and an unstable bite. Until recently, surgical jaw expansion was necessary to treat this in adults.
This dissertation examines various aspects of the innovative MARPE procedure in which the expansion operation is replaced by an orthodontic appliance with miniscrews placed by an orthodontist. Thus, it omits the need for surgery. Furthermore, a digitally produced and improved MARPE appliance was developed: the Dutch Maxillary Expansion Device.
This clinical research reveals that MARPE is an effective treatment with a very high success rate. It’s a safe procedure, both for the teeth and for the soft tissues of the midface. Moreover, the expansion is done in a patient-friendly manner, with limited impediments and no surgical risks. In short, it is a qualitatively excellent treatment with an improved patient experience.
Aldin Kapetanovic (1989) is an orthodontist and scientific researcher. After graduating (cum laude) as a dentist from K.U.Leuven in 2012, he completed a Masters in Management at Vrije Universiteit Brussel in 2014 and subsequently graduated as an orthodontist from Radboudumc Nijmegen in 2019. There he conducted PhD research until 2023, and put the innovative MARPE treatment on the map.