Children's Breathing Correction

Sleep Apnea & Airway Treatment

Sleep apnea and airway obstruction in children can cause disruptive sleep patterns that may lead to learning and behavioral problems if left untreated. Orthodontic treatment can be used effectively to treat these issues. Early diagnosis and treatment can also prevent problems that are much harder to treat in adulthood.

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Orthodontic Treatment for Sleep Apnea in Children

  • Does your child snore?
  • Is your child disruptive in school?
  • Does your child awaken during the night?
  • Does your child grind their teeth?
  • Does your child fall asleep during school?
  • Does your child wet the bed?
  • Does your child have a difficult time paying attention?

If you answered YES to any of these questions, you may need to visit Sandpoint Orthodontics for an Orthodontic evaluation. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recognizes that obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) occurs in the pediatric population. Excellent research shows that pediatric OSA is a disorder of breathing characterized by prolonged, partial upper airway obstruction and or complete obstruction that disrupts normal ventilation during sleep. OSA affects approximately 18 million people in the United States and is a common form of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB).

Signs of untreated sleep apnea in school-aged children may include bed-wetting and poor school performance due to misdiagnosed ADHD, aggressive behavior, or development delay.

 

Addressing Underlying Problems

Snoring and mouth breathing in growing children can indicate an underlying problem. Chronic mouth breathing in growing individuals alters the way their upper and lower jaws grow. Such abnormal growth patterns in the jaws may necessitate surgical correction if not diagnosed and treated early. Mouth breathing may also indicate an airway obstruction, leading to poor sleep quality and subsequent problems with neurocognitive development. If caught and treated early, we have the ability to alter the skeletal growth trajectory and make tremendous positive changes.

Normal skeletal and dental growth of the face and jaws depends on even pressure from the lips and cheeks on the outside, and from the tongue on the inside of the mouth. Children with a nasal obstruction such as asthma, allergies, deviated septum, and large tonsils and adenoids are forced to breathe through their mouths. If a growing child has his or her mouth open the majority of the time, the lips are not together and the tongue is not exerting pressure on the upper jaw and teeth. This leads to an open bite skeletal pattern, a long lower face, and an underdeveloped upper jaw. Another contributing factor can be a tethered tongue (“tongue-tied”) where the tongue cannot rest in the roof of the mouth, preventing normal development of the upper jaw. Tethered tongues can also block the posterior airway because the child cannot position the tongue up and forward – out of the back of the throat.

Signs to look for in growing children

A tethered tongue (tongue-tied) prevents the tongue from resting in the roof of the mouth – preventing normal growth and development of the upper jaw.

Signs of an underdeveloped jaw:

  • Dry and chapped lips
  • Opened-mouth posture while the child is sitting still (inability to keep lips together)
  • Chronic runny nose and or allergies
  • History of chronic ear infections
  • Dental crossbite
  • Dental crowding and/or delayed eruption of adult teeth
  • Red or swollen upper gums
  • Always eats with mouth opened 
  • Anterior open bite (front teeth do not overlap)
  • Underbite or overbite

Signs of a possible tongue-tie:

  • History of difficulty breastfeeding
  • History of speech therapy
  • History of difficulty swallowing or extreme food preferences
  • Inability of child to put tongue to the roof of mouth comfortably

A dental crossbite is a sign that the tongue is not resting in the roof of the mouth. If not treated early, a small upper jaw may lead to incorrect or even blocked eruption of adult teeth and a compromised airway.

Signs of obstructed airway:

  • Have you heard your child snore?
  • Have you heard your child stop breathing?
  • Have you heard your child grind his or her teeth?
  • Does your child toss and turn through the night?
  • Is there a history of bedwetting?
  • Do you observe daytime sleepiness?
  • Does your child have morning headaches?
  • Do you observe hyperactivity and/or an inability to pay attention to tasks?

Possible next steps may include:

  • A pediatric sleep study
  • Collaboration with a pediatric ENT if tonsils and adenoids need to be removed
  • The correction of the “tongue-tie”
  • The help of a myofunctional therapist – a specialist who helps re-train the tongue
  • A maxillary expander: to make room for the tongue, correct the jaw growth, allow the adult teeth to erupt normally, and to increase nasal airway space.

If we diagnose and correct airway problems early in growing individuals, we can help change their growth trajectory – helping prevent adult sleep apnea, preventing the need for jaw surgery later in life, and creating an environment for normal growth and development.