Research shows that 9 out of 10 children exhibit at least 1 symptom of Sleep Disordered Breathing.
Excellent dental care should start early so that your child can enjoy a lifetime of excellent oral health. A great way to achieve beautiful and healthy teeth is to straighten the teeth, allowing them to be more easily cleaned and providing a myriad of physical and aesthetic benefits. While teeth straightening treatments were once mainly for teenagers and adults, younger children can now reap the benefits of preventative care while their faces and teeth are still developing.
Divine Expressions Dentistry is now offering the Healthy Start Program for their youngest patients. Healthy Start provides a way to straighten teeth, treat sleep-disordered breathing patterns, and improve the appearance of the smile as adult teeth begin to erupt. This can be done without any need for surgery or braces by using a gentle yet proven process.
What is Sleep Disordered Breathing?
Sleep-disordered breathing refers to a wide range of breathing issues that occur when children are sleeping. Common symptoms include:
- Thumb sucking
- Mouth breathing and snoring
- Restless sleeping patterns
- Bad dreams
- Excessive night-time sweatiness
- Negative behavioral patterns, such as anger
- Chronic allergies
- ADD or ADHD
- Bedwetting
- Daytime sleepiness
What are the possible long-term effects for children?
Unfortunately, sleep disordered breathing can be easily overlooked, misdiagnosed, and often left untreated. Evidence shows that sleep disorders interfere with physical, cognitive, emotional and social development. If left untreated, these children will more than likely be plagued with health issues as adults.
What can be done to correct the problem?
When you choose Divine Expressions Dentistry for your four- to seven-year-old, we will examine your child’s bite, mouth, and teeth to determine whether the Healthy Start Program could be a good solution. If your child requires treatment, we will first use a nighttime appliance to help correct poor oral habits during sleep. Next, we will create a new appliance that is specifically sized for your child’s mouth to widen your child’s oral arches and create more room for new teeth. Finally, the last appliance is sized specifically for the newly erupting adult teeth. This appliance ensures that the teeth come in straight without any need for traditional braces.
Is Healthy Start just for young children?
While Healthy Start works best when it is used from a young age, we can also help a preteen or teenager achieve an appropriate bite and ideal tooth alignment with a similar removable silicone appliance.
Is the system painful to children?
Treatments are pain-free and noninvasive yet are incredibly effective at addressing common childhood problems for complete oral health in adulthood.
Early intervention is critical. Give us a call to schedule a consultation at 256-837-1200 and let’s start your child off right! For additional information, visit https://www.divineexpressionsdentistry.com/.
