Airway-Focused Early Intervention Orthodontics
Early orthodontic treatment options to address the underlying causes of crooked teeth in children, using non-invasive, soft dental appliances to promote natural jaw development and proper tooth alignment.
Sleep Disordered Breathing
What is Sleep Disordered Breathing?
Sleep Disordered Breathing (SDB) is an all-inclusive term for breathing difficulties, ranging from mild snoring all the to severe airway obstruction during sleep. When your child’s breathing is disrupted, his or her body recognizes the disruption much like choking, therefore, slowing the heart rate, raising the blood pressure, arousing the brain, ultimately disrupting sleep.
Symptoms
The symptoms of Sleep Disordered Breathing are the following:
- ADD/ADHD
- Bedwetting
- Chronic Allergies
- Asthma
- Mouth Breathing
- Snoring
- Swollen Adenoids/Tonsils
- Frequent Headaches
- Teeth Grinding
- Frequently Waking up
- Excessively Sweating While Asleep
- Restless Sleep
- Nightmares
- Irritability/ Aggressive Behavior
- Difficulty in School Subjects of Math, Science, and Spelling
- Arrested Growth
- Daytime Drowsiness
- Dark Circles under the eyes
HealthyStart® addresses these symptoms by promoting the proper growth and development of the jaw and airway to optimize airflow, all while guiding teeth into their correct alignments.
Treatment Options: HealthyStart and Myobrace
Both HealthyStart and Myobrace are treatments that work with the natural forces of tooth eruption and jaw development. HealthyStart utilizes soft, comfortable, removable devices that gently guide erupting teeth into their ideal positions while promoting the correct growth and alignment of the lower jaw. This approach expands the arches to ensure that incoming permanent teeth have sufficient room to erupt straight and fosters the development of proper oral habits.
Similarly, Myobrace also focuses on correcting poor oral habits that can lead to dental misalignment. It is worn for just 1-2 hours a day and overnight. Dr. Hania assesses each child's specific needs to determine the best treatment option, whether it be HealthyStart, Myobrace, Invisalign First, or a combination of all to ensure optimal airway and dental health.
HealthyStart
What is it?
The HealthyStart System™ is a revolutionary departure from traditional orthodontics that treats children early, and is a non-invasive, non-pharmaceutical, pain-free approach to opening the airway and straightening teeth WITHOUT braces. The HealthyStart® consists of a series of appliances that address symptoms of Sleep Disordered Breathing (SDB). These symptoms, 92.6% of which do not self-correct and 30% of which will worsen with age, often go misdiagnosed or untreated. HealthyStart® aims to address these symptoms early-on so that they can be solved naturally. Dr. Hania may combine HealthyStart and/or other myofunctional appliances along with Invisalign First for certain cases to achieve the best outcome for her pediatric patients.
HealthyStart treatment has the following phases:
First Phase
Habit-Corrector
The habit-corrector eliminates or improves current oral habits that can damage your child’s dental health. He or she wears the habit-corrector at night while sleeping. With a design similar to that of a pacifier, your child will become used to wearing a device in his or her mouth every night. This step lasts about 1-5 months.
Second Phase
Your child will get an appliance customized and sized for your child to wear every night. It aids the incoming teeth into their proper places, corrects jaw relations, and expands your child’s arches for the incoming adult teeth. Your child will wear this device for 2-6 months.
Final Phase
The final treatment begins with a device that accommodates incoming adult teeth. It begins when your child has at least 4 permanent teeth. This phase is extremely important because his or her adult teeth are forming and the gum tissue fibers are starting to attach the teeth in the mouth. Healthy Start works perfectly to ensure the teeth erupt into proper alignment.
Benefits
HealthyStart® aids in the correct growth and alignment of the lower jaw, expanding the arches to ensure space for incoming permanent teeth.
- address symptoms of Sleep Disordered Breathing
- develop the jaw and airway
- promote nasal breathing
- straighten teeth without braces
- correct tongue thrust
- position tongue properly
- eliminate oral habits, such as finger-sucking, and thumb sucking
- correct dental conditions, such as overbite, overjet, open-bite, crossbite, crowded teeth, crooked teeth and gummy smile
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Myobrace
What is it?
The Myobrace®System is a Myofunctional Orthodontic System which combines habit correction, arch expansion, and dental alignment into one integrated system. Treatment is best suited to children aged 3 to 15 and involves using a series of removable intraoral appliances that are worn for one to two hours each day plus overnight while sleeping.
Myobrace Treatment Phases
Myobrace® treatment is designed to correct the underlying causes of orthodontic problems through a series of stages, beginning with habit correction. The treatment generally employs a combination of three or more appliances to align the teeth as they naturally grow into the mouth. Treatment initiation is most effective as soon as poor myofunctional habits are identified. In older children, these habits and incorrect growth patterns are more established, often requiring additional effort to achieve successful outcomes. With diligent compliance, excellent results are attainable.
The treatment with Myobrace® typically unfolds in four stages:
- Habit Correction: Focuses on eliminating poor oral habits that lead to developmental issues.
- Arch Development: Expands the arches to ensure there is enough space for the permanent teeth to come in correctly.
- Dental Alignment: Aligns the teeth into their correct positions.
- Retention: Maintains the teeth in their new position and prevents regression.
Benefits
Consistent use is key to achieving a successful outcome with Myobrace appliance. Beyond merely aligning the teeth and jaws and improving facial development, Myobrace® pre-orthodontic treatment offers extensive health benefits. It addresses critical issues related to airway dysfunction and instills good dietary habits in children. By tackling these foundational aspects, Myobrace treatment not only enhances dental and facial aesthetics but also supports overall health, helping children achieve their full genetic potential. This comprehensive approach ensures long-term benefits that extend well beyond a straight smile.
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