Orthodontic treatment focuses on correcting irregularities in the alignment of the teeth and jaws. While many people associate orthodontics with creating a beautiful smile, treatment can also play an important role in improving airway health, breathing, and sleep-disordered breathing.
Palatal Expansion
A palatal expander widens the upper jaw to create more space for the teeth and tongue. Expanding the palate can also improve airflow through the nasal passages, helping relieve nasal congestion and promoting better breathing—especially in children with narrow upper jaws.
Correcting Bite Problems
Bite misalignments (malocclusions) such as overbites, underbites, and crossbites can influence how the tongue and soft tissues rest within the mouth and throat. These issues can sometimes contribute to airway obstruction. By properly aligning the teeth and jaws with braces or clear aligners, orthodontic treatment can help optimize tongue position, enhance airflow, and reduce airway-related concerns.
Mandibular Advancement Devices (MADs)
In certain cases, your orthodontist may recommend a mandibular advancement device, a custom dental appliance designed to repositions the lower jaw forward. This forward positioning helps keep the airway open during sleep by preventing the collapse of the tongue and soft palate—reducing snoring and improving symptoms of sleep-disordered breathing or mild sleep apnea.
Facilitating Proper Tongue Posture
Orthodontic treatment can help establish ideal conditions for correct tongue posture. When the tongue naturally rests against the roof of the mouth, it helps maintain a clear airway and supports healthy facial growth and nasal breathing.
Guiding Facial and Jaw Development
In children, early orthodontic intervention can help guide proper facial growth and jaw development. By encouraging the jaws to grow in harmony, treatment can promote a more open airway and may help prevent future breathing and sleep-related issues. Orthopedic and functional appliances are often used in these cases.
Collaborative Airway-Focused Care
For patients with more complex airway concerns, orthodontic treatment may be part of a comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach. Your orthodontist may work closely with oral and maxillofacial surgeons, ear, nose, and throat (ENT) specialists, and sleep medicine professionals to address both dental and medical aspects of airway obstruction or sleep-disordered breathing. Surgeries involving maxillomandibular advancement, maxillary expansion, and tongue advancement in older patients can address not only jaw size disproportions, but medical issues like sleep disordered breathing and sleep apnea.
Not all airway issues can be resolved through orthodontic treatment alone. The best approach depends on your unique anatomy, diagnosis, and overall health. A thorough evaluation is essential to determine the most effective treatment approach.