When children have trouble sleeping and act out more than normal during the day, this could point to issues with breathing at night. If we discover obstructed airways or issues with oral structures are causing the issue, then we may prescribe orthotropic treatment. In today’s blog, your Livonia, MI, dentist looks at how we correct these issues with a Biobloc oral appliance.
The Danger of Blocked Air Passages
As your children grow, their oral structures, jaw, teeth, and face change. However, if there are issues with oral structures that impact breathing, this could grow more severe with time, eventually leading to problems with sleep later in life. For example, obstructed airways could mean a higher risk of TMJ disorder, obstructive sleep apnea, bruxism (teeth grinding), and other serious systemic health issues. In fact, sleep apnea alone is linked to higher risks of heart disease and high blood pressure in adulthood! Which means treatment to guide the growth of dental arches and oral structures in childhood is often necessary to prevent these obstructions.
When to Seek Treatment
Children in need of orthotropic treatments may have trouble going to sleep or waking up in the morning. Waking in the night frequently, kicking or talking/screaming in the night is common too. Kids may start sleep walking as well. During the day, children could have trouble staying focused on tasks at school, and could be more prone to emotional outbursts. Often, kids with sleep issues related to airway obstruction could be misdiagnosed with ADD or ADHD. Instead of watching your little ones struggle and fall behind in school, missing important educational and emotional milestones, contact our team.
Guiding Growth with a Biobloc Appliance
We will use advanced technology to gain detailed digital images of the smile, as well as the tooth roots, jaw joints, oral structures, and dental arches. If we find evidence of issues causing dysfunction and breathing blockage, then we may suggest treatment with an oral appliance. We design the device based on detailed impressions and images we take of your smile. Worn at night, the Biobloc device actually guides the growth of the oral structures and repositions the jaw to ensure open airways throughout the night. If you have any questions about orthotropic treatment for kids, then contact our team today. We want to help your little one avoid issues with quality of life that could be caused by sleep and breathing difficulties!
DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT ORTHOTROPIC TREATMENT?
We want to make sure your kids breathe easy at night and avoid the complications of obstructed airways and poor sleep. For more information on general and preventive dentistry, or to schedule a consultation, call the office of James Stewart, DDS in Livonia, MI, today at (734) 425-4400.