Helping Children Thrive Through Airway Orthodontics
Dr. Hillel’s unique orthodontic techniques prioritize nasal breathing, proper swallowing, and jaw expansion. The goal of these treatments is to alleviate symptoms in the short term and improve overall health and well being in the long term.
Recognizing the Signs: Mouth Breathing and Improper Facial Development
Airway orthodontics addresses a range of symptoms that are connected to mouth breathing and improper facial development. If you notice any of these habits/symptoms in your child, airway-focused treatments can help.
Difficulty in nasal breathing
Chronic mouth breathing, especially at night
Snoring or sleep disturbances (excessive movement during sleep, excessive sweating, drooling, sleepwalking, sleep talking)
Recurrent ear infections
Altered facial development, like a recessed chin or high-arched palate
Difficulty in chewing or swallowing
Frequent headaches or earaches
Poor concentration or hyperactivity, often mistaken for behavioral issues
Patient Transformations
How Do We Treat?
ALF / Early Expansion
Numerous appliances can be used to effect expansion. One such appliance is the Advanced Light Force (ALF) appliance and is used frequently at Growing Faces. It guides the development of the jaws and airway, promoting optimal growth through gentle expansion and allowing the palate to be open and not occupied by plastic. Jaw expansion often enhances breathing, speech, and sleep patterns and thus positively influences behavior. These positive effects occur because as the jaw expands, the nasal passages widen and more space is created for the tongue to rest in. Breathing becomes optimized when the tongue can rest comfortably in the palate and the child can close their lips and nasal breathe. In instances where ALF is not appropriate for a particular patient, other expansion appliances are utilized to modify the jaws.Typically a posture breathing therapy program is utilized during the period of expansion so that the tongue may learn to occupy the newly widened space.
Breathing, Behavior, Speech, and Sleep: ALF Appliance Patient Experiences
