A mom writes on our Facebook group: "My daughter had a rapid expander put in last May. She is a mouth breather at night and had a pacifier for three years.
After five days of turning the key once per day, she blacked out at school and had headaches, neck pain, and pain from her stomach to her knees to the bottom of her feet. The orthodontist said she's had never seen that before.
We took the appliance out after 1½ months thinking it might be the cause. She had some osteopathic manipulation inside her mouth and craniosacral therapy. She's great now but still needs jaw expansion. I am not sure what to try next."
Orthodontics is a full-body experience since the craniosacral fascial system touches every cell of the body. When each cell is formed embryologically, it is encased with a thin layer of fascia to form a web-like structure.
Every muscle cell, nerve cell, blood vessel cell, lymphatic vessel cell, organ cell, and bone cell is connected in this system. Every cell of the eyes, teeth, and all other body parts are also included in this web.
Conventional orthodontic thinking says that an appliance widening the palate uses a force to separate the palatal bones. In my world, this child's appliance also impinged on the optimal function of her craniosacral fascial system.
The goal is to use an appliance like the ALF that uses minimal force to slowly spread the palate while, at the same time, allowing the craniosacral fascial system to operate unimpeded.
All too often, a child with a tight head and zero-second brain cycle can react adversely to this new dental force. Ideally, each child should be cleared of strain and then have orthodontics with the provider carefully monitoring the brain cycle at each visit.
In my perfect world, every infant needs to be orally checked and corrected at birth. Gillespie Approach Training is a must for all neonatal providers.
