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Airway & Sleep health
THE importance OF BREATHING & SLEEPING
Airway dentistry focuses on a patient’s oral structure and how it affects breathing, sleeping, and overall health. Airway dentists identify clinical signs like tongue position and restriction, tooth wear, and jaw size and position to help improve breathing and sleeping.
We offer precision diagnosis and treatment options to prevent, control, and resolve breathing and sleeping concerns. We continue to help advance the field not only by staying current on the latest research, but also by actively participating in new research and lecturing and educating as well.
This field is actively developing, and Wellspring Dental and the Myogrow Airway Center aim to be on the forefront.
If left untreated, airway-involved sleep disorders can have detrimental effects on a person’s oral health, feelings of restfulness, and overall well-being. Sleep apnea affects patients of all ages, but most especially children. Of every pediatric physician, dentists are the most likely to identify airway problems in children because of the regularity of dental checkups; only dentists can help catch and treat kids’ sleep apnea before it has the chance to become problematic. Obstructive sleep apnea comes with significant developmental concerns later in life, so early detection is absolutely critical.
AIRWAY HEALTH SCREENING AND CONSULTATION
We are passionate about healthy, restful sleep and want to help our patients achieve that at any age. Sleep is connected to many aspects of your health, and at Wellspring Dental we want to help address root causes to improve health. By improving sleeping and breathing, we aim to reduce patient’s need for dental work throughout their lives as well as reduce risk of chronic diseases like hypertension, stroke, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s disease.
Sleep apnea is just one of many sleep disorders, in fact many people who suffer from unrestful sleep do not have sleep apnea. By focusing on structure, function and behavior, we can help identify solutions to prevent, control or resolve sleep concerns.
We will mainly focus on tethered oral tissues and collaborate with lactation consultants, speech language pathologists, pediatricians, and ear, nose and throat doctors when
there are feeding, breathing or sleeping concerns.
Even though dentistry has typically been treated separately from the rest of your body, your oral health is deeply connected to your overall wellness. So, we’ll look at things
like inflammation, Vitamin D levels, bloodwork from your doctor, airway status, and gut health to connect the dots in your whole-body health.
At an airway screening and consultation appointment we will first gather information, then review our findings either at that
visit or at a second appointment. The records appointment may involve 3D CBCT imaging, sleep data, questionnaires, tongue measurements, digital models, and any other information relevant to your case.
WHAT IS A restricted airway AND HOW DOES IT PRESENT IN BOTH CILDREN & ADULTS?
Airway dentistry focuses on a patient’s oral structure and how it affects breathing, sleeping, and overall health. Airway dentists identify clinical signs like tongue position and restriction, tooth wear, and jaw size and position to help improve breathing and sleeping.
We offer precision diagnosis and treatment options to prevent, control, and resolve breathing and sleeping concerns. We continue to help advance the field not only by staying current on the latest research, but also by actively participating in new research and lecturing and educating as well.
This field is actively developing, and Wellspring Dental and the Myogrow Airway Center aim to be on the forefront.
If left untreated, airway-involved sleep disorders can have detrimental effects on a person’s oral health, feelings of restfulness, and overall well-being. Sleep apnea affects patients of all ages, but most especially children. Of every pediatric physician, dentists are the most likely to identify airway problems in children because of the regularity of dental checkups; only dentists can help catch and treat kids’ sleep apnea before it has the chance to become problematic. Obstructive sleep apnea comes with significant developmental concerns later in life, so early detection is absolutely critical.
MYOFUNCTIONAL
ORTHODONTICS
Myofunctional Orthodontics involves orthodontic treatment which aims to create beautiful smiles by identifying the factors that led to the malocclusion in the first place. We focus on arch development, tethered oral tissues, and myofunctional habits in order to create broad, healthy smiles and develop naturally beautiful faces.
With this knowledge of which bacteria are present, we can target therapies that are effective for you, then re-test over time to see if we are maintaining results.
FRENULOPLASTY
A frenuloplasty is a procedure performed to remove large, tight, or poorly positioned band(s) of tissue inside the mouth, connected to the lip, cheeks or floor of the mouth (frenum). Once the tissue has been removed, the area will be sutured. These restrictions are commonly referred to as being “tongue-tied” or “ankyloglossia”, but can be found in cheeks, lips or tongue, and we refer to them as “tethered oral tissues” or TOTs.
Frenuloplasty is a quick procedure, generally taking less than 45 minutes, and is often performed with just local anesthesia in adults and children.
INFANT FRENECTOMY
Oral Frena are the fibrous attachments of the lips and tongue to the jaws, and they are structures we all have. Everyone’s oral frena are different based on many factors including genetics, epigenetics, nutrition, development, among others. If the oral tissues are restrictive, it can negatively impact feeding early in life. Healthy tongue function is vital to infant feeding, sleeping, and growth, so identifying challenges early on can help get babies off to a good start. By collaborating with a team to help with healthy oral function and body movement, we can help improve infant feeding with a frenectomy when appropriate.
This procedure is performed to relieve tension in restrictive oral tissues with a state-of-the-art CO2 laser for increased precision and improved healing. The procedure itself is brief, usually less than 60 seconds, and infants are encouraged to feed immediately afterwards.
The pressure from the tongue during swallow forms the shape of the jaws, and the jaw shape and position dictates how the face and airway will develop. So while infant feeding is important for nutrition, it is also crucial for development, which is why we are so passionate about our work with infants.
Performing a frenectomy is only one aspect of treating tethered oral tissues- we also need to teach the tongue how to move in a new way and release tension in the body. While some may notice an immediate change, usually improvement happens slowly over time when combined with the appropriate therapy.
Tips for your inftant frenectomy visit:
- We will have comfortable chairs available, but please bring any pillows or accessories you may need to aid in nursing.
- You will have a private room to nurse.
- Please have an alternate feeding plan available for the initial healing period. While many babies latch and feed right away, it is possible baby may not want to nurse immediately
- Freezing milk in flat 1 oz increments to make breastmilk ice chips can help with wound care/You will be given a small syringe to take home. Having milk stored (either frozen orrefrigerated) to fill the syringe and apply to the site can also help with wound care.
- Ideally baby should come “ready for a snack”. Not starving, and not having just eaten a big meal.
- Have infant Tylenol (or your analgesic of choice) ready at home
Infant Frenectomy FAQs
What is a tongue tie?
A tongue tie, or ankyloglossia, is a condition when the frenum under the baby’s tongue is restricted in its ability to move.
Why does it occur?
A combination of genetic and environmental factors contribute to the occurrence of tongue ties.
Should I see an ENT or dentist?
The tongue is a unique structure that falls in the scope of practice of both Ear Nose and Throat doctors as well as dentists. Both are licensed to treat tethered oral tissues, but more important is their post-graduate training. Tethered oral tissue diagnosis and treatment is not taught in medical or dental school, so providers must seek additional training to be knowledgeable in this area.
Those performing the procedure are knowledgeable about the anatomy. How babies feed and use their tongue involves specialties like Speech Pathologists, Lactation Consultants, and Occupational Therapists. Both are important in achieving best results.
What do you use for the procedure?
We utilize state of the art CO2 light scalpel laser technology.
How long is the procedure?
The procedure lasts a few seconds, and your baby will be with our team for a few brief minutes in total.
What is the ideal time to have a release?
This varies by patient, as feeding concerns may not surface until later in infancy. Ideally, we see patients during the newborn phase, less than 3 months old. However, we treat babies up to 1 year.
TETHERED ORAL TISSUE SYMPTOMS
CONSEQUENCES OF untreated
TONGUE TIES
While we can’t say treating tongue ties will mean you will not have any of the concerns below, it is important to understand these are risks if restricted oral tissues remain untreated.
Infants
- Inefficient feeding
- Poor weight gain
Children
- Increased risk of cavities
- Dental crowding, more narrow jaws
- Vertical facial development, leading to a more narrow airway
- Poor sleep quality, which can lead to poor performance in school/sports/behavior
- Speech delays/difficulties
- Mouth breathing
Adults
- Crowded teeth, narrow jaws
- Mouth breathing
- Hyperactive gag reflex
- Snoring
- Unrestful sleep
