Airway Dentistry: What It Is, And Why You Should Care?

We may take it for granted, but breath is essential to our health and well-being. Breathing sustains our bodies by delivering oxygen-rich blood to our vital organs. Disordered breathing, or any disruption or malfunction in the respiratory system, can have profound effects on oral and overall health. Airway dentistry focuses on helping people breathe better, especially when sleeping, to live healthier lives overall.

Disordered Breathing
Many adults and children have a breathing disorder and don’t even realize it because the signs and symptoms either go unnoticed, get attributed to something else, or are difficult to detect while awake. Signs of disordered breathing include:

• Mouth breathing
• Loud snoring
• Interrupted or labored breathing while sleeping
• Chronic dry mouth
• Morning headaches
• Daytime grogginess or drowsiness
• Irritability and mood swings
• Bedwetting (in children)
• Clenching and grinding teeth (bruxism)
• Forward head posture
• Face, neck, shoulder, and joint pain

Where Does Disordered Breathing Come From?
Ideally, air should move freely through the nose without obstruction. That is called functional breathing. Disordered breathing stems from a poorly developed or obstructed airway and affects adults and children alike.

Adults: An underdeveloped oral cavity doesn’t leave enough space for the tongue, which then becomes a breathing obstruction. During sleep, muscles relax, and gravity causes the tongue to collapse into the back of the throat, blocking it. As a result, we breathe through our mouths, snore, or even stop breathing altogether (sleep apnea).

Children: Pediatricians often overlook airway development unless there is an obvious problem, and parents are only encouraged to take their children to the orthodontist for evaluation after their adult teeth have emerged. If left untreated, an underdeveloped airway will lead to disordered breathing and other problems through adolescence and adulthood.

Some common repercussions of disordered breathing are:

• obstructive sleep apnea,
• behavioral issues, ADHD
• chronic dental problems
• higher risk of respiratory and sinus infections
• allergies and asthma
• anxiety and depression
• cognitive issues
• obesity
• diabetes
• high blood pressure
• cardiovascular disease

Airway Dentistry to the Rescue!
Airway dentistry seeks to restore functional breathing to prevent sleep apnea, snoring, and the effects these issues have on oral and overall health. Treatment usually involves orthodontics, custom oral appliances, and myofunctional therapy. For instance, clear aligners and a functional appliance are often used in combination to widen narrow arches and promote proper tongue placement.

As an airway dentist, Dr. Murphy looks for signs of disordered breathing that manifest inside the mouth. Things like excessive tooth wear and tongue position help her diagnose disordered breathing. Through airway dentistry, she has access to craniofacial growth and development and expansion treatments for children and adults.

Your breath is vital to your health. No one has to live with disordered breathing. Treatment is available at our office located in Bozeman, MT. Give us a call to request a consultation and learn how you and your family members can benefit from airway dentistry.