Are you struggling with breathing difficulties or poor sleep quality? Airway-focused orthodontics may be the solution you’ve been looking for. Unlike traditional braces that focus solely on tooth alignment, airway-focused orthodontics work to improve your overall health by ensuring your airway is open and functioning correctly. If you suffer from snoring, sleep apnea, or other sleep issues, it might be time to explore this innovative approach to orthodontics.
At Floss & Co., we are dedicated to providing orthodontic care beyond just aesthetics. With airway-focused orthodontics, we focus on creating a healthy airway that supports better breathing, improved sleep, and overall well-being. This innovative approach combines our passion for dental health and patient comfort, offering a holistic solution that enhances your smile and quality of life. Dr. Murphy and Dr. Silva conduct thorough airway assessments as part of every orthodontic consultation, allowing them to develop personalized treatment plans that address your specific needs.
What Is Airway-Focused Orthodontics?
Airway-focused orthodontics is a specialized approach to orthodontic treatment that prioritizes proper jaw development and airway health. Unlike traditional braces, which primarily aim to straighten teeth, airway-focused orthodontics looks at the larger picture of how the teeth, jaw, and airway interact to affect breathing.
This type of treatment often involves guiding the jaw development in younger patients using functional dental appliances, expanders, and myofunctional therapy to build proper nasal breathing habits and correct tongue positioning. In adults, treatment may include orthodontic expansion, bite adjustments, and collaboration with other healthcare professionals like sleep specialists, ENT doctors, and myofunctional therapists. By addressing the underlying cause of your airway issues, airway-focused orthodontics helps patients breathe easier, sleep better, and avoid future health complications.
How Airway-Focused Orthodontics Can Improve Breathing and Sleep Quality
Many children and adults suffer from breathing-related sleep disorders, including sleep apnea, because their airways become blocked by underdeveloped jaws or improper tongue placement. For instance, children with micrognathia—a condition characterized by a smaller-than-normal lower jaw—experience an average of 20 apneic episodes per hour, nearly seven times more than children without this condition. Airway-focused orthodontics aims to correct these structural problems, leading to improved breathing and better sleep quality.
When the upper jaw is too narrow, the nasal passage is also restricted, making it more difficult to breathe through your nose. This can result in chronic mouth breathing and related problems like dry mouth, poor oxygenation, and an increased risk of sleep apnea. Expanding the upper jaw with airway-focused orthodontics can open the nasal passages, allowing for proper nasal breathing and reduced snoring and sleep apnea symptoms.
In addition, correcting tongue posture can help maintain an open airway. When the tongue sits correctly against the root of the mouth, it helps support proper jaw development and prevents the airway from becoming blocked during sleep. Many airway-focused orthodontic treatments incorporate myofunctional therapy to help retrain the tongue to optimize healthy breathing habits.
Advantages of Airway-Focused Orthodontics Over Traditional Braces
While traditional braces are highly effective in straightening the teeth, they do not necessarily address underlying structural issues that may be causing your airway problems. Here are some significant advantages of airway-focused orthodontics compared to traditional braces:
- Addresses the root cause of orthodontic issues
- Promotes proper facial and jaw development
- Enhances overall health by improving sleep quality
- Reduces the need for future orthodontic treatments
- Encourages proper tongue and muscle function
- Promotes natural stability by optimizing jaw and airway structure
Airway-focused orthodontics is a revolutionary approach to improving whole-body health beyond straightening teeth. By prioritizing proper jaw development, tongue posture, and breathing, this method offers significant benefits over conventional braces. If you are considering orthodontic treatment, exploring your airway-focused options could lead to a beautiful smile and a healthier, more comfortable life.
Discover the Benefits of Airway-Focused Orthodontics at Floss & Co.
At Floss & Co., we understand your health is more than your smile. Our airway-focused orthodontic treatments are designed to improve your dental alignment, breathing, sleep quality, and overall well-being. By addressing airway blockages, narrow jaws, and improper tongue positioning, we help create an optimal environment for better breathing, reduced snoring, and fewer sleep disruptions. This holistic approach is tailored to support your long-term health, offering more than just cosmetic benefits.
If you’re struggling with sleep apnea, snoring, or other breathing-related concerns, our team is here to provide personalized care that meets your needs. We work closely with you to create a treatment plan that improves your smile and ensures your airway is open and functioning properly. Contact us today at (773) 586-5522 or through our contact form to learn how airway-focused orthodontics can enhance your quality of life. Let us help you breathe easier and sleep better!