Facial Development | & Myofunctional Guide Therapy Rocky Hill, New Jersey

As parents, we want our children to be healthy-looking and feel their best. Many parents do not realize that as children grow, their facial development can seriously impact their dental health and how they breathe. Facial development does not always occur at the same pace for all areas. The teeth, tongue, temporomandibular joint, and airways may not mature at the same rate. When this happens, it may cause problems such as mouth breathing and children’s sleep apnea.

The Role of Nasal Breathing in Children

Nasal breathing is superior to mouth breathing for children for many reasons. The benefits include:

• Warm, moistened, and filtered air is breathed in for more comfort.
• The nasal passages trap debris, dust, and pollen.
• Nasal breathing helps prevent colds, flu, allergies, hay fever, and chronic coughing.
• It reduces dry mouth and throat in the mornings.
• Children breathe more deeply through their noses.
• Nasal breathing calms the body and relaxes the individual.

Children’s airway disorders dramatically affect how they eat, swallow, breathe, and sleep.

Pediatric Sleep Apnea

More children experience obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) every year. Your child may periodically stop breathing while sleeping, creating a cycle of sleeping and waking that disrupts rest, reduces oxygen to the brain, and contributes to many dangerous problems, including:

• Failure to thrive
• Behavioral issues
• Delayed growth and development
• Learning difficulties
• Poor school performance
• Difficulty concentrating
• Underweight or overweight
• Hyperactivity
• ADD/ADHD-type symptoms
• Teeth Grinding
• Bed Wetting
• Night Terrors
• Heart problems
• Temperamental issues

Mouth Breathing in Children

Mouth breathing is closely tied to Obstructive Sleep Apnea in children. If your child breathes through their mouth, they are likely having sleep-disordered breathing, which is a form of sleep apnea that becomes more severe as they grow older. Symptoms of mouth breathing include:

• Dry mouth and throat on waking
• Snoring
• Frequent waking during the night
• Restless sleep
• Pauses in breathing
• Snorting, coughing, or choking while asleep
• Frequent bedwetting

Early Intervention is Crucial

If your child is showing any of the above symptoms, it’s crucial to have them evaluated by an expert in airway orthodontics. Early intervention is key, allowing us to correct your child’s issues as they grow, guiding their teeth and jaw into better positions for a healthier, more comfortable life.

Myofunctional Therapy

Myofunctional therapy is a non-invasive treatment program to strengthen the muscles of the face, tongue, and jaw. Exercises help your child control their tongue and learn proper nasal breathing so that sleep apnea does not negatively affect them. Myofunctional therapy improves facial development, ensures a healthier airway, and creates facial harmony.

Vivos® Guide System

This simple, effective soft retainer system is worn by your child at night and when convenient during the day. The Vivos® system guides upper and lower jaw development to ensure there is proper space for permanent teeth as they erupt. Proper jaw development leads to proper airway development and better sleep.

Tongue Tie Release

Many children are born with tongue tie, a condition where the tissue connecting the tongue to the base of the mouth is too tight or short. If left untreated, tongue tie leads to speech problems, poor facial development, a compromised airway, sleep-disordered breathing, and other problems. Dr. Patel can perform a simple tongue tie release (frenotomy) to correct the issue and encourage proper facial development for your child.

Your Child’s Health and Facial Development are Closely Linked

To schedule you and your child for an evaluation and discussion of how airway orthodontics can improve your child’s health, please get in touch with our office at Rocky Hill Family Dentistry Phone Number (609) 924-9411.