Is your child snoring at night? Do they gasp for air or breathe heavily through their mouth? These are just some of the signs of a compromised airway in a child suffering from a sleep breathing disorder.
Sleep Breathing Disorders
Sleep breathing disorders cause disruptive rest during the night. Children affected by a sleep breathing disorder will snore loudly, gasp for air, breathing heavily through an open mouth, or take labored pauses. While studies are still being conducted on the effects of a sleep breathing disorder, it has been linked to early childhood obesity, behavioral disorders, and growth issues.
How Can Orthodontics Help Sleep Breathing Disorders?
You can check out your local Orthodontists to see if they have 3D I-CAT imaging for consultations of all ages. The 3D imaging helps an accurate diagnosis and the ideal treatment.
In the days of traditional x-rays, an orthodontist would have to take multiple x-rays of various angles of your face and jaw to ensure they got as many perspectives as possible. Unfortunately, this was not always accurate, and there was a lot of room for error. With 3D imaging scans, all you need is one, 30-second scan and your Orthodontist can access all angles for diagnosis of hard-to-find impacted teeth, wisdom teeth and root angles.
For patients who suffer from sleep breathing disorders, the 3D imaging allows your Orthodontist to measure airway and airflow in a child.
3D Imaging and Diagnosis
Here is an example of a 7-year-old child who came for a complimentary consultation. His mother shared that he suffered from excessive snoring at night. Our 3D I-CAT imaging was able to show the compromised airway and restricted airflow.
Following 4 months of expansion with orthodontics, the same child’s airway was expanded allowing for excellent airflow!
Finding an Orthodontist for you or Your Child
Orthodontics offers the latest in high-tech braces and Invisalign treatment for the entire family. Check out our list to find an Orthodontist near you to book a consultation today!
Source: https://aosmiles.com/airway-orthodontics/