Treating Airway Obstruction with Expansive Orthodontics
Dr. Allison Melancon strives to provide a customized treatment plan tailored to your needs to provide you with the best treatment possible. She is a diplomate on the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine and a Verified Airway Dentist with Airway Health Solutions. Dr. Melancon has taken an extensive amount of continuing education courses that allow her to incorporate airway dentistry and expansive orthodontics into her treatment plans.
What is airway dentistry and expansive orthodontics?
In 98% of patients, breathing disorders such as Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) are caused by an obstructed airway due to an underdeveloped jaw or narrow dental arches. The narrow airway can be corrected with dental appliances and orthodontic treatment.
Airway dentistry uses clear aligner and functional appliance therapy to increase your oral cavity volume, allowing for proper tongue placement and development of the arch of your mouth. It essentially establishes a more open and expanded airway to treat obstructive sleep apnea and breathing disorders, among other things. By using this method, Dr. Melancon is able to treat the root of the problem rather than treating just the symptoms.
What are the signs of an airway disorder?
A few of the telltale signs that you are suffering from an airway disorder are as follows:
- Snoring
- Excessive daytime sleepiness
- Choking or gasping during sleep
- Waking up with a constant sore throat or headache
What are the risks of an untreated airway disorder?
An untreated airway disorder can cause a number of health issues including:
- Weight gain
- High blood pressure
- Type 2 Diabetes
- Liver problems
- Fatigue
- Depression
The Vivos System
The Vivos System is a multi-disciplinary treatment protocol that may treat your sleep apnea and sleep-disordered breathing issues. The treatment, which averages 12-24 months in duration, is non-surgical and non-pharmaceutical.
Pneumopedics® is the physiologic enhancement of the upper airway via naturally-occurring and treatment-induced changes over time. The Vivos System incorporates the science of Pneumopedics® in its treatment protocols for addressing maxillary hypoplasia and mandibular retrusion.
The Vivos System can do more than improve your quality of life. An effective breathing wellness program like this can reduce the risk of dangerous conditions such as hypertension, stroke, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s disease.
Learn more about Obstructive Sleep Apnea and obtain a plan to help you achieve a healthy night’s rest. Contact Allison Melancon, DDS to schedule your appointment.
Children and Treatment with Expansive Orthodontics
Dr. Allison Melancon is now working with children who struggle to breathe when they sleep by using a system of expansive orthodontic appliances and therapies. These treatments may help the upper and lower jaws to develop and reshape the oral cavity fully. As these areas develop more fully, the child’s airway may widen and expand, allowing the child to breathe better, and some of these symptoms may disappear. When children can breathe properly, they can begin to grow, learn, and blossom into their full potential.
If you have a child that suffers from the following conditions or symptoms, airway issues may be partly to blame:
- Bedwetting
- ADD/ADHD
- Chronic allergies
- Dark circles under the eyes
- Snoring
- Irritability
- Chronic ear infections
- Swollen adenoids and tonsils
- Daytime drowsiness
- Nightmares/night Terrors
- Aggressive behaviors
- Frequent headaches
- Delayed growth and development
- Crowded and crooked teeth
Treatment of your child’s airway issues may greatly reduce many of the above symptoms that your child is experiencing.
If you think that you or your child may be struggling due to airway issues, please contact our office to schedule a consultation today. Dr. Melancon has the education and experience to successfully treat airway disorders using expansive orthodontic appliances.
