The technology has allowed us to understand about oral health, the better we’ve been able to detect, analyze, and address issues that used to be undiagnosable. For example, orthotropics is the comprehensive examination, study, diagnosis, and treatment of issues involving the growth and alignment of your child’s oral and facial structures. At our office, we utilize a variety of orthotropic aligners to help correct this growth and development. Orthotropics can help minimize children’s risks of sleep apnea and other conditions that can occur when facial and oral structures aren’t aligned properly.
Revisiting the causes of obstructive sleep apnea
Obstructive sleep apnea, or OSA, can affect patients of all ages. It occurs when mouth and/or throat tissues collapse into the airway while you sleep, which blocks the airway and prevents you from breathing. This causes your body and brain to wake up just enough to clear your airway, though it happens again as they settle back down to rest. While the causes of sleep apnea can differ from patient to patient, a common factor is the abnormal alignment of oral and facial structures – a condition that orthotropic treatment is specifically designed to correct.
The ultimate goals of orthotropic treatment
Orthotropic treatment is highly individualized process designed to address a child’s specific oral and facial development concerns. For example, certain aligners may be recommended to expand the upper palate to allow for more room for the sinuses and airway to develop properly. It begins with a comprehensive examination of your child’s facial and oral structures, including a thorough analysis to determine the extent of any issues that are present. Then, we can customize the right orthotropic treatment plan to address the concern and reduce the risks of such discrepancies leading to sleep apnea or other concerns later in life.
Reducing risks of sleep apnea and more
Sleep apnea is a common result when oral and facial structures aren’t proportionate to each other, and reducing the risks of it is an important benefit of orthotropics. However, it isn’t the only condition that orthotropic aligners can help your child avoid. For example, correct the growth of oral structures helps guide your child’s teeth into straighter alignment, reducing the chances that they’ll need orthodontic braces to straighten crooked teeth later.
Can orthotropics help your child avoid sleep apnea?
By correcting the development of your child’s oral and facial structures, orthotropics can play a big role in treating or reducing their risks of sleep apnea and more. For more information, schedule a consultation by calling the office of James Stewart, DDS in Livonia, MI, today at (734) 425-4400.