A photo of an Advanced Orthodontics patient with sleep breathing disorders after airway expansion.

Airway Orthodontics & Sleep Breathing Disorders

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?

At Advanced Orthodontics, Dr. Larrabee utilizes state of the art 3D I-CAT imaging for consultations of all ages. The 3D imaging allows him to provide the most accurate diagnosis and ideal treatment possible.

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 Dr. Larrabee 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 Dr. Larrabee to measure airway and airflow in a child.

3D Imaging and Diagnosis

Here is an example of a 7-year-old child who came to see Dr. Larrabee 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.

A 3D scan of an Advanced Orthodontics patient with sleep breathing disorders before airway expansion

Following 4 months of expansion with orthodontics, the same child’s airway was expanded allowing for excellent airflow!

A photo of an Advanced Orthodontics patient with sleep breathing disorders after airway expansion.

The mother of the child being treated for a narrow airway shared:

“We are so pleased with the care we received from Dr. Larrabee and his team at Advanced Orthodontics. He was able to identify the cause of my son’s breathing problems and open his airways and alleviate his snoring! We highly recommend Dr. Larrabee and Advanced Orthodontics.”

A Visit to Advanced Orthodontics

With two convenient locations in the Mesa and Chandler Arizona, Advanced Orthodontics offers the latest in high-tech braces and Invisalign treatment for the entire family. Our professional and upbeat staff go above and beyond to ensure that both adults and adolescent patients feel as comfortable as possible during their visits. Our virtual entertainment game room, warm cookies after each visit, and media bar will have Dr. Larrabee’s patients looking forward to their appointments.

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *