Airway Dentistry
Why Early Airway Evaluation Matters
Many parents first notice symptoms like mouth breathing, snoring, restless sleep, or crowded baby teeth, but don’t realize these can be signs of underlying airway issues or jaw development concerns.
At our office, Dr. Bakr takes an approach to dentistry that looks beyond the teeth, focusing on how your child breathes, sleeps, and grows.
What We Look For
We begin with a combination of scans, photos, and parent questionnaires to evaluate:
- Width of the upper jaw
- Position of the lower jaw (is it too far back?)
- Airway space behind the nose and throat
- Facial structure and face shape
- Breathing and swallowing habits (mouth vs. nose)
This diagnostic phase helps us understand what’s really going on, not just what’s visible in the mouth.
Step 1: Screening & Diagnosis
- 3D scans or imaging to identify key growth and airway markers
- Parent sleep questionnaire to assess breathing and sleep quality. Click here to download sleep assesment form.
- Behavioral observation (e.g. mouth breathing, tongue posture)
From here, we create a custom treatment plan depending on your child’s age and needs.
Step 2: Myobrace (Ages 4–6)
For younger children, we often start with Myobrace, a simple, soft mouthguard worn:
- 2 hours during the day
- All night while sleeping
This gentle system retrains breathing through the nose and promotes natural jaw growth, often avoiding the need for braces later.
Step 3: Active Expansion (Ages 6+)
For older children, we may recommend more active orthopedic expansion to help:
- Create space for all adult teeth
- Improve facial symmetry
- Open the airway for better breathing
If cosmetic alignment is desired, we can address that too, but our focus is always on function first.
Why Not Just Braces?
Traditional orthodontics focus on straightening teeth, but don’t address the root cause of why teeth are crowded in the first place.
That’s why some kids relapse after braces.
We aim to develop the jaw both width-wise (transversely) and length-wise (longitudinally) to:
- Fit all teeth naturally
- Open nasal airways
- Eliminate chronic mouth breathing
Our End Goal
By the time your child is around 12 years old and most adult teeth are present, we aim to:
- Have enough space for all permanent teeth
- Establish proper nasal breathing
- Only need minor alignment, if any
This is long-term health, not just cosmetic correction.
