While snoring and breathing difficulties may be considered a concern for adults, younger patients can experience these troubles as well. As kids age and grow, issues with the continued development of the upper and/or lower jaw can create problems with airway obstructions and other breathing difficulties. There are different behavioral and health complications associated with these difficulties. Because airway obstructions cause prolonged sleep difficulties, the effects can grow more severe over time when the matter is not treated! We provide important airway evaluations as well as targeted treatments to make sure these disruptive problems stop harming your child’s health and quality of life.
Is Your Child Showing Signs of Disordered Sleep or Breathing Difficulties?
Developmental issues that concern the jaw can cause cosmetic issues, bite trouble, and airway interference that disrupts a child’s sleep. Orthotropics is a branch of pediatric dental care that can help young people by making sure the proper growth and development of their teeth, jaws, and oral structures will occur. Issues like snoring and other symptoms of sleep apnea, mouth breathing, and cosmetic issues concerning dental and jaw positioning and alignment can be treated in response to these developmental worries.
Taking Signs of Mouth Breathing Seriously
Chronic mouth breathing can act as both a sign of trouble with airway interference and a reason for abnormalities in jaw development. The good news is that with early intervention, developmental worries can be corrected so that they do not create long-term issues. We provide different solutions based on the needs of our growing patients. Orthodontic work, corrective care for the jaw, and other solutions can be recommended based on what we find that concerns your child.
Watch Out for Symptoms of Sleep Apnea Affecting Your Child or Teen
Children who struggle with airway issues can exhibit many warning signs, including problems that we often link to sleep apnea. There are also additional difficulties that can leave parents understandably concerned. Some of these issues include:
- A tendency to snore, stop breathing, or grind their teeth during the night.
- Nighttime tossing and turning while they sleep.
- A history of bedwetting
- Difficulties with daytime fatigue, irritability, and other signs of restlessness
- More frequent morning headaches
Disordered Sleep and Behavioral Problems
While sleep is important to a person’s health at any age, the role rest plays in a child’s physical and cognitive development is significant. In some cases, kids who have airway issues can exhibit symptoms of mental health conditions like ADHD. If they remain untreated, your child’s sleep difficulties due to primary snoring and obstructive sleep apnea can lead to many worries, including the following:
- Cognitive and behavioral problems that affect learning.
- Behavioral difficulties like impulsivity, anxiety, aggression, hyperactivity, poor emotional regulation, and poor focus
- Reduced cognitive function.
- The onset or heightening of symptoms of ADHD.
How Technology Makes Your Child’s Care More Comfortable
With advanced digital imaging tools, we can make the work involved in evaluating and treating your child’s breathing difficulties more comfortable. Our office relies on the ICAT-FLX imaging system, which uses cone beam technology to create 3D images used for treatment planning. The cone-shaped x-ray beams capture images while the imaging tool rotates around the patient. In addition to providing a precise 3D model to use in their care, digital x-ray technology makes imaging safer by emitting less radiation than traditional x-ray devices.
The detail we gain from the ICAT-FLX equipment helps us create nighttime breathing appliances that have a secure and comfortable fit. That custom design makes the appliance easier to adjust to while also ensuring that it remains in place to offer support throughout the night.
Talk To NRH Orthodontics About Treatment for Your Child’s Disordered Sleep and Airway Obstructions
Be careful not to assume that your child’s snoring and signs of sleep apnea are less serious because they are “too young” for this kind of disorder. Structural and developmental issues of the face, jaw, and oral structures can cause breathing difficulties that limit rest in addition to causing other issues. To find out how we can diagnose sleep and breathing difficulties in teens and kids and treat them, call NRH Orthodontics in North Richland Hills, TX today at (817) 581-8881.
