Airway Orthodontics
Many individuals view orthodontic treatments as just a form of cosmetic dentistry. However, orthodontics does much more than just align smiles for aesthetics. Oral misalignments have been linked to obstructed breathing in a considerable portion of patients. Obstructed breathing disrupts a child’s sleep, significantly impacting their development and overall wellness. Countless pediatric patients have found relief from breathing obstructions after undergoing airway orthodontic treatments.
Symptoms of Pediatric Breathing Obstructions:
- Mouth breathing
- Poor sleep quality
- Recurring sinus infections
- Shallow breathing
- Fast breathing
- Behind on developmental milestones
- Impeded growth
- Academic challenges
- ADHD or hyperactivity
What is Airway Orthodontics?
Breathing obstructions can be caused by prolonged oral habits, such as thumb sucking, or just how the oral cavity is structured. This condition causes the child to have lower oxygen levels, increasing their risk for certain health conditions and development issues. Airway orthodontics addresses the relationship between the oral cavity and breathing disorders to alleviate the patient’s symptoms.
Obstructive sleep disorders can cause a child’s airway to become partially or completely obstructed during sleep before the body alerts the airway to reopen. This episode can occur dozens of times on any given night, and each time it occurs, the child’s sleep is disrupted. The goal of airway orthodontics is to create a more effective airway. This is typically achieved through either enlargement or further development of the airway.
Airway orthodontics helps kids breathe and sleep better while enhancing their overall wellness. Both their health and development will experience significant improvement as a result. Additionally, patients who undergo airway orthodontics in early childhood may completely eliminate or substantially reduce the need for further orthodontic treatments in their teenage years.
Function First is committed to helping each of our patients improve their overall wellness. If you think your child would benefit from airway orthodontics, schedule a consultation with us. We will assess their needs and create an individualized treatment plan to help them achieve their full developmental potential!
