Orthotropics is the treatment of issues such as asymmetrical jawbone structure, oral tissues, and/or facial structures, particularly in children. As a more comprehensive solution than orthodontic treatment, orthotropics involves all of the facial and oral structures, and how their alignment and positions affect each other. Among the many other benefits of focused orthotropic care, one of the most significant advantages is the reduced risks of developing obstructive sleep apnea—a sleep breathing disorder that often results of abnormal oral tissues and structures.
What Causes Obstructive Sleep Apnea?
Obstructive sleep apnea, or OSA, is a sleep breathing disorder, meaning it affects your ability to breathe while you sleep. The condition is caused by a chronic obstruction in your airway, typically caused by oral and throat tissues collapsing into the airway at night. While the underlying cause of this obstruction differs from patient to patient, many share a few things in common, such as the abnormal growth and development of certain oral tissues.
How Orthotropics Corrects the Problem
Unlike orthodontic treatment, orthotropics allows your child’s dentist to spot and address issues with jawbone and facial development at an early age. The treatment involves correcting the upper jaw’s position as it relates to the rest of the skull, and then correcting the lower jaw accordingly. By creating a more well-proportioned area for each main portion of the mouth, jaw, and face, orthotropics helps children avoid the abnormal development that could later (or currently) cause sleep apnea.
Learn More About Orthotropics and Sleep Apnea
By correcting the symmetry of oral and facial structures, orthotropics can help children avoid the most frequent causes of breathing disorders like sleep apnea. To learn more about orthotropics, schedule a consultation by calling the office of James Stewart, DDS in Livonia, MI, today at (734) 425-4400. We also proudly serve patients who live in Farmington Hills, Farmington, Plymouth, Northville, Novi, Dearborn Heights, Dearborn, Garden City, Westland, Redford, and all surrounding communities.