Airway Focused Dentistry or Airway Dentistry is a new term for what we have been doing for 25 years. Airway dentistry simply means the dentist is looking beyond the teeth into the space behind, above, and below the mouth that is where our airway lives. It is remarkable to observe the growth and development from a young child with a tiny nose and chin into an adolescent and adult, as the face including the nose and mouth grow downward and forward when growth and function are coordinated.
Pediatric growth and development in dentistry takes this airway focus to heart: some specific areas of concern include tongue tie management, enlarged adenoids and tonsils and allergies as reasons for mouth-breathing, overall tone of the body and the role it plays on posture and how posture affects airway and vice versa, and general pediatric dental development.
In our adult population, we offer snoring and sleep apnea solutions for airway focused dentistry patients who are either not candidates for or intolerant to C-PAP therapy. In our adult population, we also evaluate the role that bruxism (tooth grinding) and TMJ dysfunction or jaw pain have on sleep issues.
Some of the tests we use to determine what type of airway focused dentistry is appropriate:
Rhinomanometry – a device that allows us to measure the flow and resistance of air through each nostril as well as determine the resistance created by the soft palate and base of tongue
CBCT (3D Cone Beam X-ray) – this allows us to visualize adenoids which are hidden from clinical examination, as well as objectively measure the airway volume
Sleep survey – either with GemPRO to coordinate bruxism with airway issues or with HRPO (High Resolution Pulse Oximetry) to coordinate the autonomic nervous system response to airway issues
