Airway Dentistry
 

Airway dentistry focuses on the structure of the mouth and how those structures impact sleep and breathing. Evaluating the airway and addressing structures that may be suboptimal can help improve sleep and breathing.

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When we are asleep or at rest while awake ideal breathing occurs through the nose, with the mouth closed, and with the tongue resting in the roof of the mouth. This allows the air entering our lungs to be filtered, humidified, and warmed as it passes through our nasal tissues. Air then passes down the throat past the base of the tongue and soft palate.

The pathway from the nose to lungs can be obstructed in many different ways including:

- nasal passage narrowing

- high palate

- narrow palate

- large tonsils

- large adenoid

- allergies

- tongue tie

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At our airway consult all of these factors will be evaluated with low dose CT imaging, photographs, clinical exam, and discussion with parents regarding what they see with their child's sleep and behavior. All of our findings and possible solutions will be reviewed with parents in great detail. In many cases the solutions are multifactorial involving dentistry, orthodontics, ENT, and/or myofunctional therapy. We will develop a care plan that organizes any specialties that may be required and explain why they might be required in detail.

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Examples of the imaging we will take at your child's visit are included below.

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If your child struggles with sleep and breathing parents may consider scheduling an airway consult. At an airway consult a low dose cone beam CT scan, intraoral photographs, intraoral scans and clinical exam are completed to take a comprehensive look at your child's airway.

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If you think your child may have sleep issues please download our screening tool below. 8 or more positive answers suggests that sleep disordered breathing may be occurring. The paper supporting this survey is also attached if you would like to read more about the survey.

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If you would like to schedule a consult give our office a call at 470-414-1350 or email NewPatient@WhiteOakKids.com