It’s Not Just About Straight Teeth Anymore: Understanding MARPE and Growth

This past weekend (April 2026), I had the opportunity to step away from the clinic and spend time learning from some of the leading minds in orthodontics and airway-focused dentistry. These are the kinds of weekends that challenge what we think we know and, more importantly, shape how we care for our patients moving forward.

At Juniper Dental, one of our goals has always been to stay curious and keep improving. Dentistry is changing quickly, and this weekend was a powerful reminder of how much is evolving, especially regarding how we guide growth and development in children.

A New Way of Thinking About Growth

You may have heard terms like MARPE, palatal expansion, or airway orthodontics. They can sound technical (and honestly, there are a lot of names for similar concepts), but the idea is simple: In some cases, the upper jaw doesn’t grow wide enough. This can affect how teeth come in, how we breathe, and how we sleep.

MARPE stands for Mini-Implant Assisted Rapid Palatal Expansion. It’s one of several modern tools used to help gently guide jaw development, particularly when traditional methods are no longer as effective.

Now the important part isn’t the name because there are a lot (MARPE, MAPE, MSE, MASPE, RPE, DOME, FME just to list a few) it’s understanding that we now have better ways to help guide growth earlier and more predictably than ever before.

Learning From Leaders in the Field

This weekend, I had the privilege of learning from some incredible clinicians, including:
Dr. Audrey Yoon (affiliated with Stanford University)
Dr. Mariana Evans (associated with University of Pennsylvania)
Dr. Jeremy Manuele (Airway first: The hidden link between breathing, sleep, and wellness: without surgery)

These are individuals who are helping shape the future of orthodontics, especially when it comes to airway, facial development, and early intervention.

One of the biggest takeaways?

The next 10 years in orthodontics are going to look very different from the last 40. We’re learning more and more that orthodontics isn’t just about straight teeth, it’s about how the face and airway develop as a whole.
That’s why early awareness is so important.

If your child is around 4–5 years old and you notice things like:

Mouth breathing
Snoring or restless sleep
Crowding or lack of spacing
Grinding teeth
Posture issues during sleep

…it doesn’t mean something is “wrong” but it does mean it’s worth asking questions.

Early doesn’t always mean treatment right away. Often, it simply means:‍

- Watching growth more closely
- Understanding options sooner
- Making better decisions at the right time

My Perspective (And My Promise to You)

I want to be very clear about something:
I don’t claim to know everything, and I’m not an orthodontist.
But over the past 7 years, I’ve made it a priority to stay at the forefront of these conversations, to learn from the best, and to continuously question how we can do better for our patients.

This weekend reinforced something I strongly believe:
The best care comes from collaboration, curiosity, and humility.

Looking Ahead

My goal over the next 3–5 years is to help build something bigger here in Calgary, an interdisciplinary team that brings together:

- Dentists
- Orthodontists
- ENT
- Sleep physicians
- Neurologists
- Myofunctional therapists
- Speech pathologists
- Oral surgeons

Because the future of dentistry isn’t about one person having all the answers, it’s about the right team asking the right questions together.

Final Thought

If there’s one thing I’d want you to take away from this: Don’t wait until something becomes a problem to start asking questions. Whether it’s your child, your own health, or just curiosity, we’re always here to have that conversation.

And as always, we’ll continue doing everything we can to bring you the most thoughtful, up-to-date care possible.

Dr. Cantlon

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