Airway Focused Orthodontics; Holistic Oral Function
Airway Focused Orthodontics is a holistic approach focused on establishing enough room for an individual to breathe through their nose while maintaining the proper position of the tongue, pressed up on the roof of the mouth. Allowing to restore balance and eliminate deficiencies in the way the face grows. Providing space for your teeth to align in the most ideal manner. The goal is always to improve overall health and promote long-term well-being for adults and children.
- Airway Focused Orthodontics can assist with:
- Healthy, straight teeth
- Proper development of your face and jaws
- Proper oral function
- Proper nose breathing
- Proper sleep patterns
- Pseudo or misdiagnosed ADHD
- Tongue ties
- TMJ issues
Airway issues may present themselves with common symptoms like fatigue, headaches, poor sleeping patterns, anxiety, depression, grinding, bed wetting, restless sleep, hyperactivity, ADHD, and weight gain. Dr. Kieffer incorporates Airway Focused Orthodontic Treatment that will expand airway volume, improving the function of the airway, helping patients achieve better breathing and overall health by correcting the underlying restriction.
Children, in particular, benefit from early screening as their growth and development can be guided in ways which promote optimal airway function. Identifying issues such as enlarged tonsils, adenoids or turbinates, deviations in the nasal septum, poor tongue posture or function, and restrictive ties of the lip or tongue, will help to improve breathing and sleep quality. Children with sleep disturbances may be misdiagnosed with ADHD. Dr.
Kieffer believes early detection is critical in reversing poor growth patterns that can distort proper facial and jaw growth.
Dr. Kieffer continues to implement the latest technological advances in the industry. CBCT Imaging, or cone-beam computed tomography scans, create 3D images that show the sinuses, upper and lower jaws, teeth, and TM joints. These images help to identify poor growth patterns and habits. By reversing these patterns and habits, Dr. Kieffer can achieve the most ideal results.
Expansion to widen the upper jaw is an effective treatment for patients with sleep disturbances. Expanding the upper jaw also affects the volume of the nasal cavity, helping to increase airflow, making breathing easier. Appliances such as the Maxillary Skeletal Expander (MSE) and Miniscrew-Assisted Rapid Palatal Expander (MARPE) work to expand the maxillary bones more effectively, thereby increasing the volume of the nasal and oral cavities. This decreases nasal resistance, improves nasal breathing, and gives the tongue more room to be in its anatomically ideal position. This improved posture serves to open the pharyngeal space, making it easier to breathe.
