Orthopedic expansion or the use of a palatal expander can help widen the jaw allowing more space for the permanent teeth to come into the best position. I see this as early orthopedics more than orthodontics because we are helping to develop the jaw bone, not the teeth. The goal is to stop the crowding of teeth by Early Orthodontic Screening and Intervention.
In the past, when kids teeth were too crowded they’d simply remove a permanent tooth to create more space for the other teeth. However the removal of a permanent tooth leads to a smaller smile whereas expanding the jaw to create more room contributes to a broader, more desirable smile. Without early intervention extracting a permanent tooth may be the only solution for over crowding teeth.