Airway Orthodontics
Does your child snore at night? Is your child a chronic mouth breather?
About 12-15% of children are affected by sleep-disordered breathing, with the highest occurrence in children between ages 3 and 5. About 3-12% of preschool and school-aged children habitually snore during sleep. If left untreated, the health of the child is compromised. As a result, we may see bedwetting, daytime sleepiness, failure to thrive, behavioral problems, and decreased quality of life.
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. Both Dr. Bracy and Dr. Cindy 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 dual-trained certified pediatric dentist and orthodontist. Her unique educational background allows her to confidently address orthodontic issues in pediatric patients as young as 3 to adults. She is our Pediatric Orthodontist, admired for her compassionate demeanor and exceptional expertise in working with children.
- Dental crowding in baby teeth with insufficient room for adult teeth to fit in the mouth
- Dental crossbites, underbites
- Mouthbreathing while sleeping/awake
- 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, or someone that your child may have ADHD
LPD Orthodontics offers the following services:
- Orthodontic Airway Consultations & Second Opinions
- Early Interceptive Orthodontic Intervention and Growth Guidance: (baby and mixed baby-adult teeth phase)
- Traditional Orthodontics to Straighten Teeth
- Damon braces
- Clear Aligners
- Expansion for Older Patients (kids/teens and older): MSE/MARPE
- Digital Impressions and Scanning- no more goo!
- Digital Radiography with reduced radiation
- In-house 3D printing
What is included in an orthodontic airway consultation?
- Thorough examination and explanation of findings and detailed recommended treatment by Dr. Cindy
- Digital imaging
- Subsequent communications between our office and other providers, such as the referring physician or dentist
Dr. Cindy believes in a team-based approach to ensure that her patients have the best chance in growth and development. She works with other providers including ENTs and Myofunctional Therapists regularly.
What makes practice so unique? All of our LPD patients benefit from the combined knowledge and collaboration of our growth and development team!