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A too narrow lower jaw is usually accompanied by a too narrow upper jaw, creating problems such as tooth crowding, chewing deficiency, and un-aesthetic buccal corridors upon smiling.
Tooth extractions can make place for the remaining teeth, but may lead to a dished-in, prematurely aged face. A smile showing a wide dental arch, with little space between the cheek and the teeth, is more attractive.
 
Trans Mandibular Distraction is a technique by which the lower jaw is surgically weakened in the midline area and widened by an expansion device that is fixed on the chin bone. It is exposed between the lower lip and the front teeth. The jaw regains its initial strength after the widening. The space that is created between the incisors is used to align the teeth.
Trans Mandibular Distraction is most frequently accompanied by Trans Palatal Distraction.
One week after the intervention, the patient receives a key by which the expansion module is daily activated, by turning it downward, half a turn every day. The activation lasts a few weeks, according to the amount of expansion that is necessary.
The device is removed under local anaesthesia, 2 to 3 months after its placement.
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