Achieve a sculpted face in just 5 minutes a day
What's the story
Maxillary arch expansion helps fix crowded or crooked teeth and improve breathing.
Plus, it can enhance your breathing and even make your face look better.
And, while braces and other orthodontic appliances are the go-to options, you can support the process with some simple exercises.
So, here are five exercises to help strengthen your muscles around the maxillary arch and assist in its expansion.
Tongue strength
Tongue push-ups
Tongue push-ups: You push your tongue to the roof of your mouth, hold it there for a couple of seconds, and then let go.
Strong tongue muscles are crucial for facilitating maxillary arch expansion.
Doing 10-15 tongue push-ups a day can improve the outcome of orthodontic treatments for maxillary arch expansion.
Cheek flexibility
Cheek puffs
Cheek puffs are done by inhaling deeply through your mouth, puffing your cheeks out with air, and then shifting the air from one cheek to the other for approximately 30 seconds.
This exercise builds flexibility and strength in your cheek muscles, helping to achieve a more even distribution of force across your maxillary arch during other exercises or while wearing orthodontic appliances.
Jaw mobility
Jaw circles
Jaw circles are performed by gently opening your mouth and moving your jaw in circular motions, first clockwise then counterclockwise.
Each circle should be performed slowly, taking about five seconds per direction, with 10 repetitions each way.
This exercise improves jaw mobility and helps release tension around the maxillary arch area, fostering better alignment and expansion over time.
Muscle coordination
Gum chewing simulation
To simulate gum chewing without actual gum, simply mimic the chewing motions, focusing on utilizing both sides of your mouth equally.
This exercise promotes muscle coordination and balance on both sides of your jaw, crucial for ensuring even pressure distribution across the maxillary arch during expansion efforts.
Do this twice a day for two minutes each.
Nasal breathing enhancement
Breathing exercises
Concentrating on nasal breathing instead of mouth breathing helps tone the muscles around the nose and upper lip.
This, in turn, aids in maxillary arch expansion by enhancing overall facial muscle tone.
Doing deep nasal breaths for five minutes every day can also help relax tense facial muscles.
These muscles could otherwise interfere with orthodontic treatments designed to expand the maxillary arch.