Our team at Floss & Co. would love to meet you and your family and provide you with the dental care you deserve!
Airway Expansion Near Midway Airport
Do you struggle to get a good night’s sleep and feel constantly tired despite hitting the pillow for eight hours? If you live around Midway Airport and find yourself dealing with persistent breathing issues, you may have a more serious issue than just occasional snoring. You may not realize problems like chronic fatigue, frequent headaches, and even teeth grinding can stem from restricted airways. Fortunately, with an experienced dentist, the solution may be simpler than you think.
At Floss & Co., we’ve helped countless patients breathe easier through innovative airway expansion-focused treatments, including braces, clear aligners, palate expanders, and myofunctional therapy. Our caring team is passionate about addressing the root causes of breathing difficulties rather than just masking the symptoms you’re experiencing day after day. With our personalized, inclusive airway expansion services, you can feel safe and confident knowing we put your health and quality of life first.
What's Actually Happening When You Can't Breathe Right?
Think about your airways like the highways around Midway; traffic slows down dramatically when there’s construction or a narrowed lane. The same thing happens in your body when your airways are constricted. Whether it’s from a narrow palate, recessed jaw position, or other structural issues, restricted airways force your body to work overtime just to get enough oxygen.
Fascinatingly, the airways affect so much more than just your breathing. That afternoon energy crash, morning headaches, and your child’s difficulty focusing in school can potentially connect to oxygen deprivation from airway restrictions. These aren’t issues you or your child just have to live with or manage through medications that only address symptoms. At Floss & Co., we take a different approach by focusing on expanding the actual airways to create lasting improvements.
Airway Expansion Services We Offer
At Floss & Co., we care about how your oral health affects your overall well-being. Therefore, if you have breathing issues while sleeping or your child shows symptoms of sleep apnea, we create a personalized treatment using one or more of the following services to improve the appearance and function of your teeth and airways:
Airway-Focused Orthodontics
Traditional braces and clear aligners focus on making teeth look straight, but our airway-centered orthodontic approach takes it a step further by optimizing jaw position and development to create better breathing pathways. Expanding dental arches and creating more space in your mouth help position your tongue properly and improve airflow while straightening your teeth!
Rapid Palatal Expansion (RPE)
For our younger patients, we often recommend RPE when we spot narrow palates. This specialized orthodontic appliance gradually widens the upper jaw, creating more room for proper tongue positioning and significantly improving nasal airflow. It works with your child’s natural growth patterns, making it highly effective for long-term results.
Advanced Options for Adults
Even if you’re fully grown, you’re not out of luck! Treatments like Maxillary Skeletal Expansion (MSE) can help adults achieve palatal expansion without major surgery. If you’re one of the millions of adults with sleep apnea or deal with chronic snoring, custom-fitted mandibular advancement devices can reposition your jaw forward during sleep, preventing those annoying (and dangerous) airway collapses.
We also incorporate myofunctional therapy, which is like physical therapy for your mouth and tongue muscles, to retrain dysfunctional breathing patterns and swallowing habits that may contribute to your airway issues.
Signs You Might Need Airway Expansion Dentistry
It can be difficult to know if you or your child needs airway expansion-focused dental treatment because many symptoms occur while you’re asleep. Our experienced professionals can help you understand common signs to look for so you can get early intervention and prevent future issues.
For kids, common indicators of breathing concerns include the following:
- Breathing through the mouth rather than nose
- Snoring or noisy breathing during sleep
- Bedwetting beyond the usual age
- Restless sleep or unusual sleeping positions
- Focus and behavior issues during the day
- Recurring ear infections or sinus problems
For adults, the following indicators may point towards the need for airway expansion:
- Waking up tired despite getting enough hours of sleep
- Morning headaches or dry mouth
- Diagnosed sleep apnea or chronic snoring
- Teeth grinding or jaw pain
- Difficulty staying alert during afternoon hours
- History of orthodontic treatment that involved tooth extractions
Do you notice any of these patterns? If so, don’t wait to reach out and discuss them with our skilled team. We work closely with you to find a solution that resolves the root cause of your breathing problems.
The Life-Changing Benefits of Airway Expansion Dentistry
Our airway-expanding treatment can help improve the appearance and function of your teeth, jaw, and tongue, allowing them to work together, so you can breathe better. Making this investment can provide the following benefits to improve your quality of life:
Sleep That Actually Refreshes You
Remember what it feels like to wake up genuinely rested? You may have forgotten if you have airway issues. Better oxygen flow during sleep leads to deeper, more restorative rest cycles. No more hitting snooze six times or needing three coffees just to function!
Saying Goodbye to Chronic Health Issues
It’s incredible how many “mysterious” health problems clear up when breathing improves. You may experience fewer headaches, reduced sinus infections, less frequent acid reflux, and even improved cardiovascular metrics at regular check-ups. Your body functions better when it’s getting the oxygen it needs.
Kids Who Can Focus and Thrive
If your child has breathing issues, airway expansion can be truly transformative. After treatment, you’ll likely see dramatic improvements in school performance, behavior, and even athletics. When kids breathe properly, they’re positioned to succeed in all areas of life.
A More Confident Smile
Airway expansion often leads to aesthetic improvements in facial structure and profile. By optimizing jaw development and positioning, we frequently see enhanced facial symmetry, better lip support, and more defined jawlines, creating a naturally more attractive appearance.
Freedom from Devices and Medications
Our airway-expanding treatments may reduce or eliminate your dependence on CPAP machines, sleep medications, allergy drugs, or inhalers after addressing the root causes of your breathing difficulties. Imagine traveling without lugging a CPAP machine or going to bed without medications!
Long-Term Health Protection
The research is clear: chronic oxygen deprivation from conditions like sleep apnea significantly increases risks for serious health issues, including heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and cognitive decline. By addressing airway issues now, you’re investing in your long-term health, which could add years to your life.
Discuss Airway Expansion With the Skilled Team at Floss & Co.
Are you ready to breathe easier? Our Floss & Co. team would love to chat about how airway expansion might help you or your family members. We create a warm, welcoming environment that many patients tell us they actually look forward to their visits. Whether you’re dealing with chronic fatigue, sleep issues, or just curious about optimizing your breathing, we’re here to help with practical solutions and genuine care.
Give us a call at (773) 586-5522 or fill out our contact form to schedule a consultation today. Let’s take that first breath toward better living; your lungs (and energy levels) will thank you!