Would Your Child Benefit From Airway Orthodontics?
Does your child snore, breathe through their mouth, have attention issues, or sleep in odd positions in their bed? These issues may be related to an airway obstruction, and can impact the way the jaws and bones develop. Dr. Weaver is specially trained to recognize the signs and symptoms of an airway obstruction.
Types of Airway and Breathing Issues
As many of the bones in the face are connected to each other, the common symptoms and causes of airway obstructions are mostly related. For instance, breathing only through the mouth (due to enlarged tonsils or adenoids) can lead to narrow or collapsed palates, resulting in crowding of the teeth and further constricting the nasal cavity. This changes the shape of the jaws and can result in a long, narrow face. In the long term, this increases the risk of sleep apnea as the child gets older.
Symptoms that your child may have an airway issue:
Snoring
Mouth breathing
Restless sleep, tossing and turning
Bed-wetting
Irritability or trouble paying attention
Early Intervention
Orthodontists can recognize airway issues in young children, sometimes before any other medical professional takes notice. By recognizing the symptoms before the jaw has fully developed, orthodontists can take steps to prevent more severe breathing and sleeping problems later in life. With a simple palate expander, orthodontists are able to increase the size of the upper jaw. This can correct the narrow palate and encourage proper nasal breathing.
Early intervention orthodontics can correct the size of the jaws, which can enable a child to breathe properly (and truly change a life!). Depending on your child's needs, Dr. Weaver may refer them to other airway specialists, such as an ENT to evaluate the tonsils and adenoids, a myofunctional therapist to improve tongue posture, or a periodontist to release a tongue tie. Some of the myofunctional treatments can benefit children as young as two years old, without the need for braces or bands.
Can Adults Benefit from Airway Orthodontics?
Though ideally, an orthodontist can intervene before a child’s jaw is fully developed, sleep and breathing issues can be treated through airway orthodontics at any age. Sleep apnea, for instance, can seriously disturb your quality of life, but there are treatment options that improve the airway and fix breathing problems at their root cause. Traditional treatments for adult sleep apnea include snoring devices and CPAP machines, which lessen the symptoms of the disorder but do not improve the underlying issue. Maxillary skeletal expansion, jaw surgery, or other surgically facilitated orthodontic treatments can greatly improve the sleeping patterns (and the lives!) of adults with airway obstructions.
Dr. Weaver is a member of the Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine and is passionate about helping children breathe properly. She has taken hundreds of hours of continuing education in sleep-disordered breathing, and works with a team of airway-trained specialists to ensure her patients get the best care possible. Contact us today to learn more or schedule an appointment!
