Airway Orthodontics
Airway-focused orthodontics goes beyond simply straightening teeth. It’s an approach that recognizes the deep connection between airway health and overall well-being. This perspective considers how breathing and craniofacial development impacts a person’s health, focusing on more than straight teeth.
Here’s what we know:
- 12-15% of children are affected by sleep-disordered breathing, with the highest occurrence in children between ages 3 and 5. Â
- 1-6% of children have Obstructive sleep apnea.Â
- 3-12% of preschool and school-aged children habitually snore during sleep.
Many parents have asked us why we care as dentists. The truth is, the mouth is very much connected to the body and reveals a lot about our child’s growth and development. Habits such as poor tongue posture, mouth breathing, extended pacifier use, and abnormal swallow patterns can lead to many issues including dental crowding, high arched and narrow palate, crooked teeth, and increased facial height. This is because tongue placement is extremely important in guiding the growth of the jaws and the face. Poor soft tissue dysfunction and body posture usually accompanies mouth breathing as well. Correcting resting tongue position, mouth breathing habits, and poor body posture is critical in achieving proper growth of the upper and lower jaws, face, and overall health of a developing child.
As a part of our practice mission, we offer complimentary airway screenings for all our LPD patients. We understand the importance of a good airway in a growing child and are happy to answer any questions or concerns you may have!
Dr. Cindy is a board-certified orthodontist and a board-certified pediatric dentist. Her educational background allows her to take a truly unique, whole-child approach to care. Through collaborative work with other specialists including ENTS and myofunctional therapists, Dr. Cindy aims to help her patients achieve stable, healthy, and long-lasting results that go beyond straight teeth.
- Dental crowding in baby teeth with insufficient room for adult teeth to fit in the mouth
- Dental crossbites, underbites
- Mouthbreathing while sleeping/awake
- Open mouth posture
- Snoring, or loud breathing while sleeping
- Bedwetting while sleeping (older kids)
- Your child wakes up with headaches, or wakes up unrefreshed in the morning
- History of ear infections
- Unable to focus, easily distracted, ADHD-like behavior
What is included in an orthodontic airway consultation?
- Thorough evaluation of the mouth and digital imaging
- Explanation of findingsÂ
- Detailed treatment recommendations made by the doctor
- Subsequent communications between our office and other providers, such as the referring physician or dentist
As a pediatric airway orthodontist, Dr. Cindy believes in a team-based approach to ensure that her patients have the best chance in optimal growth and development of the face. She collaborates with other providers including ENTs and Myofunctional Therapists regularly.
What appliances may Dr. Cindy use for my child? Â
Dr. Cindy chooses appliances based on her patients’ needs and treatment goals. The appliances are tools in her toolbox to achieve a goal such as arch development, airway improvement, and dental alignment.Â
- Biobloc expanders
- Traditional expanders
- MARPE expanders
- Functional appliances
- Soft Tissue habit appliances
- Passive self-ligation for patient comfort
- Clear aligners
Early Orthodontic Intervention/ Arch Development
Early intervention is recommended for children who need work to make room for their tongue, to help improve soft tissue dysfunction and airway concerns, as well as using growth modifying appliances to help address skeletal issues during active growth. ENTs and Myofunctional therapists are often involved during this stage for muscle strengthening and nasal breathing. Patients may still need braces when older once all adult teeth come in.
Patient 1. This child presented with a traumatic bite where her top front teeth were not resting over the bottom front teeth. She had a narrow upper arch, insufficient room for her tongue, and dental crowding. We worked on developing both her arches and finished her alignment with clear aligners.
Patient 2. This child presented with narrow upper jaw, no room for his adult lateral incisors, dental crossbite and very tight facial muscles. With appliances addressing both his upper and lower jaws and alignment of his front adult teeth, we were able to achieve results that made everyone smile.
Patient 3. This child presented with narrow upper jaw with insufficient room for her adult teeth, dental crowding in the lower jaw, and tight facial musculature. We addressed the crowding in her upper and lower jaws and aligned her adult teeth using clear aligners to achieve a beautiful full smile.
Patient 4. Narrow upper jaw with insufficient room for adult teeth and tongue.
Patient 5. Severe crowding with narrow upper jaw, insufficient room for his tongue.
Patient 6. Narrow tapered upper jaw with dental crowding upper and lower arch.
Patient 7. Class 3 grower with crossbite of front teeth.
MARPE/MSE (MAXILLARY SKELETAL EXPANSION)
For many years, orthodontists faced limited choices for severe crowding: referring patients for oral surgery (jaw surgery) or removing teeth through extractions or slenderizing to create necessary space.
Today, we offer an exciting, modern alternative: in-office palatal expansion for teens. This advanced procedure creates more room for both the tongue and crowded teeth, often preventing the need for surgery or extractions. The expansion process is completed in our office using nitrous oxide (laughing gas), numbing, and the careful placement of small miniscrews in the palate.
We are happy to answer any questions you have about this innovative treatment option for your child.
College student. He came in for 2nd opinion after he was told to shave down his enamel to fit the teeth into the arch.
Because a traditional expander will not work at his age, we recommended a MARPE expander.
MARPE expander was removed after 9 months. Dental alignment was completed using clear aligners.
What makes practice so unique? All of our LPD patients benefit from the combined knowledge and collaboration of our growth and development team!
Professional Affiliations
