Airway Assessment

Orthodontic expertise to promote airway health and fight many surprising, whole-body complications

SHN Orthodontics appreciates that we cannot treat what we do not know. So, an assessment is fundamental and essential to therapies and our approach to caring for patients from across the Mission Viejo, California, area. Our team also appreciates that this highly specialized branch of dentistry is about more than straight teeth and a balanced bite. Orthodontists like Dr. Shannon Hilgers Nissen know that many conditions seemingly unrelated to orthodontic problems or the mouth, in general, may be rooted in anatomical and functional imbalances. 

Airway issues and disordered breathing may stem from the anatomy of the mouth, face, and jaws and related functional challenges. Airway obstruction and dysfunction are furthermore associated with many undesirable and distressing side effects and complications. They can interfere with your child’s development during critical formative years and with their overall health and well-being.

Our team has successfully resolved many airway deficiencies and imbalances to address the following effectively:

• Breathing through the mouth instead of the nose
• Attention and hyperactivity
• Impaired facial growth and development 
• Tongue ties
• Poor oral and head posture
• TMJ (jaw joint) symptoms
• Difficult or painful chewing 
• Facial pain 
• And much more

The American Association of Orthodontics generally advises that children undergo their first orthodontic evaluation by age seven. At this stage, children are still growing and have a mix of primary and permanent dentition. This timeframe also presents opportunities for our specialist to intervene with developmental issues affecting the teeth, jaws, and other oral and maxillofacial tissues and structures. Here again, we assess for and think beyond the relationship between the teeth and the upper and lower dental arches. The many orthodontic interventions and treatments available at our office can help improve airway function, support better health, and eliminate or prevent the symptoms and complications mentioned above. 

In fact, it is not unusual for Dr. Nissen to discover that children are not breathing properly because their airways are too narrow or underdeveloped. These characteristics are the source of unhealthy mouth breathing, which manifests because the child cannot get enough oxygen throughout the day to breathe properly through their nose. Mouth breathing is way more than an annoyance; it can lead to an increased need for more complex orthodontic treatment, speech problems, tongue thrust issues, and compromised immune and hormonal systems. 

We take a multidisciplinary approach, too. With the help of a pediatric ENT, SHN Orthodontics may recommend expansion and arch development appliances, exercises, and therapies to, in part, avoid a range of health problems. So your child can grow and develop in the way that they deserve—properly! Call (949) 830-4101 to schedule an airway assessment today at our Mission Viejo, CA, office.