Treating Breathing Disorders with Cutting-Edge Therapies
As a health-focused, patient-centered, multidisciplinary Dental and Medical practice we focus on disease prevention and reversal, through careful diagnosis and comprehensive treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), Nasal Obstruction, TMJ, Tongue-Tie, Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders (OMD), Bruxism or Grinding, and Snoring among other sleep inhibitors and breathing disorders.
Breath Easy & Sleep Well
Nurture > Nature
Poor growth patterns and identification of their root causes is a big focus at Groton Wellness. Early oral habits like finger/thumb sucking, overuse of pacifiers and other environmental factors can result in chronic nasal airway obstruction and may have a devastating impact on the jaw and facial growth and maturity. We pay close attention to any factor that may contribute to one’s inability to breathe, for this results in a directional change in facial form/anatomy from its genetically programmed potential. These early childhood growth problems can lay the groundwork for more severe medical conditions later in life ~ the most serious being Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) and Temporomandibular Disorders (TMD).
Getting To The Root Of The Problem Early
At Groton Wellness we work hard to identify the root causes of these growth alterations, looking specifically at diet and allergy triggers we aim is to restore proper growth. The speed of recognition and treatment are the keys to success. The faster the nasal airway is opened, the better the treatment outcome. Facially, a child matures very quickly, most critical growth completed before the age of 10. Corrections after growth are complete are more prone to failure and relapse.
Our Approach
All Orthodontic/Dentofacial Orthopedic treatment at Groton Wellness begins with a thorough diagnosis which includes an examination, dental/bite impressions, facial and dental pictures, low radiation x-rays, and a detailed computer-aided assessment of key structures of the face, jaws, and teeth.
The Growing Patient
It is usually advantageous to treat the growing patient in phases. Phase One helps redirect growth more favorably, followed by a retention phase during which we wait for all of the remaining permanent teeth to grow into place. Once all the permanent teeth have erupted we reevaluate to determine if a second phase is necessary. Phase Two treatment is commonly shorter in duration compared with traditional orthodontics and is often not required at all.
The Benefits Of Early Intervention
Traditional orthodontics treats teenage children with the aim of straightening teeth and “fixing” the bite. Conversely, Early Orthopedic Orthodontics can be performed on kids as young as four with the aim of jaw development. Critically different from the traditional, this approach creates more room in the jaw for proper tongue placement, breathing and speech patterns. In many cases, if jaw development is corrected at an early age, permanent teeth have a better chance of coming in straight, thus decreasing the need for braces.
How Does it Work?
Lightwire functional appliances exert gentle pressure and have been proven to be very effective at promoting proper jaw growth. Trainers and Myo-functional appliances are removable, and successful in repositioning jaws, especially for the child with lower jaws that are too far back. These appliances train the jaw to grow forward improving oral function.
Loud Restless Night?
Do you or your loved one snore? Are you suffering from unexplained fatigue, uncontrolled high blood pressure, Diabetes, fibromyalgia, or fogginess? Do you fall asleep and snore during the day? You may have Sleep Apnea. Sleep Apnea affects people of all ages and genders and is increasing in the USA.
What is Sleep Apnea?
Sleep Apnea is a disorder characterized by pauses, shallow, and/or infrequent breathing during sleep, which leads to a reduced oxygen supply to the body. This may result in multiple health issues like depression, cognitive and cerebrovascular disorders, anxiety, impotence, excessive eating, hormonal imbalances, and even mortality, just to name few. Kids experience symptoms such as snoring, sweating, restlessness, learning disabilities, clumsiness, and metabolic syndromes.
Sleep is an essential part of our life. It affects how we function, perform, feel and/or look. Most people need 8 hours of quality sleep to repair and heal their bodies daily.
Sleep Apnea Treatments
There are different treatments for Sleep Apnea and your dentist can help.
- Start by talking with a member of ourSleep Team and take home aSleep Study. A fast affordable way to gather informationabout your restless nights.
- Weight loss – Losing weight can help balance your hormones and send signals to your brain indicating that you are not hungry.
- The Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machine uses either a mask or nose prongs to help increase the air pressure in the throat, thereby preventing the airway from collapsing.
- Oral Appliances resemble a night guard or retainer. These maintain an open, unobstructed airway by preventing the collapse of the tongue and soft tissues in the back of the throat.Oral Appliance Therapy is for treating mild to moderate airway obstruction and a great alternative for those who have a hard time using a CPAP machine.
- When other treatments don’t work, you may consider upper airway surgery. This invasive surgery is site-specific and varies by patient.
