A good night’s sleep is essential for your health, energy, and overall well-being. But for millions of people, sleep apnea makes it difficult to get the restful sleep their bodies need. Sleep apnea is a condition in which breathing repeatedly stops or becomes restricted during sleep. These interruptions can happen many times throughout the night, often without the person realizing it.
While sleep apnea can affect people of all ages, certain structural factors involving the jaw, teeth, tongue, and airway may contribute to airway restriction. This is where airway-focused orthodontics may play a significant role.
Airway-focused orthodontics considers more than just straight teeth. It looks at the development and relationship of the teeth, jaws, palate, tongue, and surrounding structures to determine whether orthodontic treatment may help address certain structural concerns.
Depending on the patient's age, development, anatomy, and individual needs, orthodontic treatment may be used to address certain structural factors associated with airway restriction.
For example, palatal expansion may be considered for patients with a narrow upper jaw. Expanding the upper dental arch can create additional space within the mouth and may improve nasal airflow in appropriately selected patients.
In other cases, orthodontic treatment may address the position and relationship of the upper and lower jaws. In growing children and teenagers, certain orthodontic approaches may help guide jaw development while the facial structures are still developing.
For adults, treatment options depend heavily on the individual's anatomy and the severity and type of sleep apnea.
Dr. Wazio will evaluate the development of the teeth and jaws and identify structural concerns that may warrant further attention. If sleep-disordered breathing is suspected, Dr. Wazio may recommend that the patient be evaluated by a sleep specialist or other appropriate healthcare professional.
It is important to understand that orthodontics does not diagnose or automatically cure sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a medical condition that requires appropriate evaluation and diagnosis.
If you or your child regularly snores, sleeps with an open mouth, experiences restless sleep, or shows other signs of sleep-disordered breathing, an orthodontic evaluation may be a useful part of understanding the bigger picture.
Better breathing and better sleep can begin with understanding the factors that may be affecting your airway. Schedule an initial consultation with Wazio Orthodontics to determine whether airway-focused orthodontics is appropriate for you or your child.
