Airway Orthodontics

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Airway Orthodontics in Denver, CO for Sleep Apnea

Experiencing Sleep Disordered Breathing? Expert care is a call away! Contact Paloma Dental today at 720-440-7743, email us at hello@palomadental.org, or book online to schedule an appointment.

Why choose Paloma Dental for Airway Dentistry/Orthodontics?

  • Expert Dentists — Dr. Alexandra Bassett is a highly skilled and experienced dentist who is passionate about airway dentistry and helping her patients find relief.
  • Flexible Availability — We have morning & evening appointments and online scheduling for your convenience.
  • Caring & Compassionate Team — We value integrity and strive to provide the best dental care possible for all our patients.
  • Affordable Dental Care — We feature competitive pricing and offer the Paloma Plan, an insurance alternative, if you are uninsured.

What is Sleep Disordered Breathing?

Sleep disordered breathing (SDB) is full or partial obstruction of our airway during sleep. The most infamous type is obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), where your throat closes, and you stop breathing altogether. But there are many types of SDB – minor as well as major like OSA. All affect your health by decreasing the quality of your sleep. OSA is associated with significant medical issues, including high blood pressure and congestive heart failure. Studies show that OSA can reduce a person's life expectancy by several years.

What causes SDB?

Before 400 years ago, crowded teeth were virtually absent in humans. It wasn't until humans started eating less fibrous (more processed) foods that a huge increase in dental crowding began. Other studies that followed non-westernized cultures as they westernize their diets show decreased jaw size in just one generation! A smaller jaw causes a few key problems: A smaller nasal passage (the top of the jaw is the bottom of the nasal cavity) and a smaller area for the tongue to exist. Both of these decreases in volume for proper breathing have been linked to SBD.

Common symptoms of SBD include:

  • Loud snoring
  • Episodes in which you stop breathing during sleep – which would be reported by another person
  • Gasping for air during sleep
  • Awakening with a dry mouth
  • Morning headaches
  • Difficulty staying asleep
  • Excessive daytime sleepiness

What about temporomandibular joint disorder and grinding?

The majority of the people that grind when they sleep show some SBD when tested. Symptoms include clenching, grinding, clicking or popping, dislocation, jaw or ear pain, dizziness, tinnitus, and/or frequent headaches. Choices for TMJ disorder treatment are overwhelmingly varied. A night guard is commonly prescribed for patients with TMD, which helps relax the tight muscles. There is also occlusal equilibration, Botox injections, medications, physical therapy, acupuncture, and surgeries. All of these treatment options focus on the symptoms but not the cause of the TMD – which is sometimes an underdeveloped jaw.

What are treatment options?

If you would like to learn what can be done to improve the relationship between your teeth and your jaw joint, please ask us. Usually, the treatment to correct this issue requires some orthodontics (clear aligners to change the position of teeth) so there may be an aesthetic bonus as well. By deciding to correct this problem, you may end up avoiding future dental needs that are much more invasive and expensive.

Other palliative treatment options include:

  • Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy (OMT), which works to slowly retrain your facial muscles to function and swallow in a healthier way.
  • Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP), which needs to be worn over the face to "blow open" the airway while sleeping at night.
  • Mandibular Advancement Devices (MADs) that keep the lower jaw forward to open the airway, allowing better breathing.

How does clear aligner therapy treat TMD and SDB?

Clear aligner therapy increases the amount of space for the tongue to rest, decreasing its tendency to fall into the throat while relaxing. Just a few millimeters make a huge difference! This has been shown to help many patients sleep better and have less pain, tension, and discomfort in their jaw joints.

Why hasn't this been common practice in orthodontics?

Orthodontics has traditionally been the study of how to correct issues with the teeth alignment, NOT the jaw development. This is "retractive orthodontics." Dentists are now becoming more "airway-focused" – we think about how our decisions and treatment impact the health of our patient's breathing. Airway disease directly contributes to premature dental destruction, so treating it closes the circle of proper dental care.