Airway Dentistry
Airway based orthodontics look at the entirety of your health- not just your teeth. Our bodies react to stressors caused by our modern diets, lifestyles, and our environments. Crooked teeth and misaligned jaws are signs of significant issues that our brain and bodies are attempting to cope with. The way we breathe and swallow as well as our posture, can affect the development of our jaw, teeth and face.
If started early, Airway orthodontics can prevent deficient (or sometimes excess) facial growth, disturbed sleep and crooked teeth by restoring airways and balancing structural growth. These issues affect the entire body and can even disturb normal cognitive development.
Stop treating just your symptoms!
Upon thorough analysis of you or your child’s anatomy, physiology and neurology Dr. Munkel looks for the cause of the problem and strives for long term overall betterment.
Conventional Orthodontics vs airway orthodontics
- Traditional orthodontics see crooked or misaligned teeth as the problem to be fixed.
- Airway orthodontics see crooked teeth as a symptom of another imbalance, and by correcting that imbalance the teeth begin to correct themselves. Airway orthodontics look at the whole person, realizing the teeth and overall arch development can be the symptom or the cause of underlying factors such as inadequate breathing and facial growth, which can lead to lower iq or lack of development, ADHD, daytime tiredness or restless sleep.
“Respiratory needs are teh primary determinate of the posture of jaws and tougue and of the head itself.” -Dr. Williams Profitt, Contemporary Orthodontics
Airway orthodontics
- Holistic
- Causes
- Overall health
- Yes
- Yes, it can
- Rarely
- Main focus
- Yes
- Helpful
- Helpful
- Essential from patient and parent
- In stages over the period of growth
- Little, but requires discipline
vs
- Philosophy
- Diagnostic focus
- Outcome focus
- Treats the cause of the problem
- Prevents crooked teeth
- Extractions needed
- Facial improvements
- Smile esthetics
- Jaw joint health
- Sleep disordered breathing
- Requires cooperation
- Time for treatment
- Discomfort
Traditional Orthodontics
- Allopathic
- Symptoms
- Esthetics
- No
- Doesn’t prevent only treats
- With Crowding as needed
- Limited, or with surgery
- Yes
- Neutral to stressful
- Neutral to stressful
- Required for hygiene and instructions
- Less than 2 years generally
- Soreness while getting used to appliances