Airway
Our Mission
Does your child experience...
Waking up at night, restless sleep, nights and/or daytime drowsiness
ADD/ADHD, difficulty in school and/or aggressive behavior
Bed wetting, chronic allergies and/or enlarged tonsils and adenoids
Mouth breathing and/or childhood tooth decay
Crowded or crooked teeth and/or teeth grinding
If your child is experiencing any of these, whether it’s one symptom or several, we encourage you to contact our office and your pediatrician to determine if this is affecting their health.
The Importance of Breathing at Night and Problems with a Compromised Airway
Sleep is vital to our overall health and is a critical time for our brain and body to perform the restorative and reparative functions it needs. Fragmented sleep can greatly impact a child’s behavioral, cognitive, and physical development.
The central issue for many children suffering from SBD (Sleep-related breathing disorders) is compromised airways. SBD can cause breathing to stop or become shallow while sleeping, which fragments the sleep cycle.
When a child’s airway is compromised, they may struggle to get enough oxygen at night. As a child’s breathing is restricted, their body reacts as though the child is choking, resulting in lower oxygen levels, higher heart rate and higher blood pressure.
What Can We Do?
Children unfortunately don’t “outgrow” sleep problems; they must be addressed. With functional orthopedic therapy at an early age, we can help children breathe better.
Improving the functions of oral muscles, correcting breathing habits, and using dental tools that help children grow can help open the airway of a growing child and allow the airway to develop to its full potential.
Early Treatment is Critical
Dentists are taught to refer children by the age of 7 to the orthodontist for an evaluation but why not help encourage growth while the growth is at its optimal potential?
The most rapid growth of the head/jaws takes place from 0-4 years old, at this point the jaw has grown 60%. By 6 years old it has grown 80%. Don’t fear though, we work with all ages and there is no better time to start than now!
How is SBD Related to my Child
Tongue Tie
ADD/ADHD
Cavities
Mouth Breathing
Bedwetting
Tongue Tie
The Dental Connection
Many young children with SBD have dental arches that are underdeveloped, narrow, and positioned too far back. A normal human profile should have the lips and chin positioned well in front of the eyes with a strong jawline.
Unfortunately, in most cases, such growth and development doesn’t happen on its own. In our modern world of limited breastfeeding and soft, processed foods, far too many of our children are simply not developing fully in their lower facial areas. If allowed to persist during their formative early years, this condition prevents proper growth and development of a child’s airway.
Opening Hours
- Mon – Thu 8:30 am – 5:00 pm
- Saturday 8:00 am – 4:00 pm
- Friday & Sunday Closed
Request an Appoinment
Call us: 360-260-0505 or Fill in the Form Below