Airway Treatment

Breathing correctly through the nose adds moisture and warmth to the air, enhances oxygen absorption by the lungs, filters out impurities and more. In kids, nasal breathing plays a critical role in their growth and development. When children can’t breathe adequately through their nose and resort to mouth breathing, it can interfere with the development of their facial structures, impacting their appearance and health as an adult. In people of all ages, a lack of nasal breathing forces the body to adapt to get enough oxygen in the blood, leading to a number of potential consequences. One of the most well known consequences of mouth breathing is sleep-disordered breathing (SDB), such as obstructive sleep apnea and upper-airway resistance syndrome. SDB doesn’t just affect adults either. It’s become a pervasive problem in children and has a negative impact on their development, growth, behavior, academic performance and overall well-being.

Did you know… 15% of children have sleep disordered breathing including obstructive sleep apnea but 90% go undiagnosed. Signs of an airway problem in kids include: Snoring Mouth breathing Choking or gasping for air while sleeping Pauses in breathing while sleeping Fatigue Bedwetting Waking up frequently during the night Other sleep problems, including night terrors and sleepwalking Teeth grinding (bruxism) Headaches Tension in the neck and shoulders Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain Forward head posture Behavioral and social problems (can mimic ADHD symptoms) Academic issues, including difficulty paying attention Asymmetrical facial appearance

Early intervention while a child is still growing and has some of their baby teeth is ideal. It will allow us to correct the underlying cause of airway problems and prevent issues with development and breathing in the least invasive way possible. Early treatment can change oral posture and breathing patterns that will positively influence growth, skeletal and dental development and overall health for years to come. However, it’s never too late for treatment and our doctors can treat teenagers and adults too. With her holistic approach, she aims to strike the perfect balance of health, function and cosmetics.

In young children, the maxilla (the bone that forms the upper jaw) consists of two pieces that meet in the middle at what’s known as the midline suture. Until around puberty, the suture is not fused and it responds to pressure and tension with a fixed expander. The appliance attaches to the upper molars and sits against the roof of the mouth. As you activate the palatal expander using a special key, it gently separates the two halves of the upper jaw and causes them to grow outwards. New bone forms in the middle, stabilizing the skeletal expansion. Not only does this widen the palate to open the airway, treatment also helps create a healthy, aligned bite and encourages your child’s permanent teeth to erupt into their proper positions.

From the mid-to-late teen years into the early 20s, the midline suture is too tight to expand with a traditional palatal expander. However, our doctors can often still achieve skeletal expansion by using a mini-implant-supported expander. Since it’s a bone-borne appliance instead of a tooth-supported one, it can exert enough force to safely widen the upper jaw. It might sound intimidating, but we promise, getting the mini implants is minimally invasive and you won’t feel a thing during the procedure. Just like with a regular expander, once the appliance is in place, you’ll use a key to activate it. This will gently separate the maxilla and help expand the upper jaw. Once expansion is complete, our doctors will leave the appliance in for a little longer while new bone develops and locks the expansion in place.