Airway Centered Dentistry
What is “Airway centered dentistry”? Airway centered dentistry is looking at teeth and the oral system holistically and understanding how the position of teeth and jaw could affect airway, breathing, and sleep. If teeth and the oral system can affect airway, breathing, and sleep, it could potentially impact every health system in one’s body.
The biggest impact of airway health is sleep. If inadequate 3D oral volume can result in poor airway (think sleep apnea), and that in turn can result in poor sleep. One can imagine the negative cascading consequences to health of having a poor airway.
Common chronic symptoms and ailments such as sinus infections, TMJD, headaches, acid reflux, and even constipation could be linked to poor airway anatomy. Other more serious chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, anxiety and depression, all have strong breathing and sleep ties.
What is interesting also, is poor airway can affect oral health (think night-time grinding to get more air, clenching and breaking teeth). In fact, a well trained dentist can have a good idea of whether or not a person could have sleep disordered breathing if it’s due to anatomic volume deficiency.
If you are interested in reading more, I would highly recommend Dr. Steven Park’s “Sleep Interrupted” and Dr. Felix Liao’s “6 Foot Tiger 3 Foot Cage”. Both authors have great perspectives of the subject from an ENT specialist and an airway-centered dentist’s point of view. This video will walk you through why we are so passionate about treating kids early
Airway Centered Dentistry
Dr. Co here. I would like to take the next few minutes to discuss with you the concept of airway centered dentistry. What is airway centered dentistry? We have airway, we have dentistry. How do they get together? First, I want to just introduce two concepts. One is teeth or dentistry or structures. It is a gateway to health. We’re able actually look at the teeth and be able to determine that if the patient has relatively good health or not. Second concept is airway or breathing trumps everything. It’s more important than doing yoga. It’s more important than having great food, healthy food. If you can’t breathe, it’s game over, right? So breathing is paramount, and how these two concepts are linked together is when people have breathing issues, especially at night, they tend to show up on teeth.
So I want to show you this fellow here I have on the slide. This is a patient I met probably close to 20 years ago. Back then, the research really wasn’t deep enough and frankly, I myself did not understand anything about airway and airway dentistry. So we can only do what we know. So at that current time, the proposal for him was to help with his chipping, maybe do some crowns, maybe give him a night guard to protect his teeth. This patient ended up not following up with it, and as we proceed with treating him for cleanings and whatnot, we notice that he is destroying his teeth. So fast forward a few more years, he’s breaking down his teeth, chipping teeth, and everything is worn down, and he eventually lost his teeth, and at the same time, his health is deteriorating. So this has been kind of wary on me in some ways because we probably could have helped them if we know more about airway back in those days.
And the concept of airway dentistry really is looking at teeth from a different perspective, is looking at teeth as a gateway to health. If we at teeth and we see the teeth are worn and we see teeth are chipping and people are breaking their teeth, it’s really having the curiosity to find out exactly what’s causing that, whether or not there’s sleep apnea, whether there’s airway issues, TMG issues, muscle issues, headaches, and how can we influence that from a base, from a root level, so that the patients won’t be destroying their teeth. That’s really the concept of airway centered dentistry as opposed to being a repairman and constantly repairing teeth. So I know it’s not telling you exactly what we would do because every single patient is a little bit different, but hopefully this is an insight to the level of thinking that we have in our office is not being just, just being a tooth fixer, but a deeper healthcare provider that connects health to teeth. Okay. So if you have any questions, if you want to find out more about how this is related to your health and your teeth, please feel free to give us a call. We’ll be happy to help you. Okay, thank you.
Airway Centered Dentistry FAQ
What is airway-centered dentistry?
Airway-centered dentistry is a different approach and see dentistry from the angle of airway health. Many modern day dental issues we are dealing with are related to airway health issues. Cavities could be related to mouth breathing and snoring. Grinding and clenching could be related to stressed airway and sleep apnea. TMJ issues and headaches often times are heavily correlated with the position of the jaw and under-development of the jaw structure. Dentistry can provide a lot of clues to our overall health, and often times it is the source of some health issues we are dealing with as modern humans. If we are able to make an influence in the position of teeth and the 3D space that houses the tongue, we might be able to improve a person’s overall health.
What is the best treatment for sleep disorders?
Sleep disorder are often related to the position of the tongue, size of the tonsils/adenoids, and the patency of the nasal passage. As dentist, we can influence the position of the tongue by either repositioning or expand the space for the tongue to function in. Currently, the gold standard for treating sleep apnea is still using a CPAP machine. However, other treatment modality are also showing promising signs of success.
Can snoring be cured permanently?
Snoring is a sign of a restrictive airway that causes fluttering/sound of soft tissue during breathing. Methods such as surgery, expansion, reposition could increase the airway which in the most successful cases will resolve snoring long term.
What is the main cause of snoring?
Snoring is a sign of a restrictive airway, and the in and out flow of air during breathing causes the soft tissue to flutter which in turn generates sound.
What’s the difference between snoring and sleep apnea?
Sleep apnea (obstructive sleep apnea) is defined as obstruction of airway, typically because of the position of the tongue. Often times snoring is a precursor that could lead to sleep apnea.
What is the best solution for snoring?
There are many ways to improve snoring. It could be as simple as mouth taping, or as extensive as double jaw surgery. Recommendation has to be carefully considered for each individual.
What is new in sleep apnea treatment?
CPAP currently is still the gold standard to treat sleep apnea. Implantable device such as Inspire is also available. Repositioning appliances (mandibular advancing device), as well as Vivos/DNA appliance have shown some promising results.
Is sleep dentistry safe? How much does a dental device for sleep apnea cost?
Dental devices range from repositioning devices to expansion devices. Cost also ranges from $2000 to over $10,000.
Can you live a long life with sleep apnea?
We know sleep apnea causes many chronic modern diseases. If you have a diagnosis of sleep apnea, it is recommended to seek professional help to alleviate the illness for quality and longevity of life.
How does airway-centered dentistry improve sleep quality?
Airway-centered dentistry is crucial in improving sleep quality by addressing the root causes of breathing disruptions during sleep. For example, permanent positional changes can be made with Invisalign, orthodontics, or prosthetic dentistry. We also use dental appliances or oral devices to reposition the jaw or tongue to keep the airway open and prevent snoring or obstructive sleep apnea. By ensuring proper airflow during sleep, patients can experience more restful sleep, reduced snoring, and improved energy levels during the day.
What are the common symptoms that may indicate I need airway-centered dental care?
Common signs that you may benefit from airway-centered dental care include chronic snoring, excessive daytime drowsiness, difficulty concentrating, dry mouth upon waking, and interrupted breathing or gasping during sleep. Additionally, if you experience frequent headaches, jaw pain, or teeth grinding, these could be related to airway issues. Consulting with a dentist specializing in airway-centered dentistry can help address these symptoms and improve your overall health.
What treatments are involved in airway-centered dentistry?
Airway-centered dentistry treatments focus on non-invasive solutions such as custom-fitted oral appliances and orthodontic procedures. Oral appliances, like mandibular advancement devices, are designed to reposition the jaw or tongue to keep the airway open. In some cases, orthodontic treatments or surgery may be considered to correct structural issues that impact the airway. The three most common tools we use in our office are: MARPE, Invisalign, or Vivos DNA. A comprehensive evaluation by a qualified airway-centered dentist helps determine the most effective treatment for each patient.
How does airway-centered dentistry differ from traditional dentistry?
While traditional dentistry primarily focuses on maintaining oral health and treating conditions like cavities and gum disease, airway-centered dentistry goes beyond that by considering how oral structures or underdevelopment of the jaw can influence the airway and overall health. Airway-centered dentists assess the alignment of the jaws, tongue position, and breathing patterns to identify potential airway obstructions and develop personalized treatments to improve sleep, breathing, and overall well-being.
Can airway-centered dentistry help with sleep apnea?
Yes, airway-centered dentistry is highly effective in treating obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Dentists specializing in this field often use fixed appliance such as MARPE, removal appliance such as Vivos or Invisalign, to create more space. Other oral appliances, such as mandibular advancement devices, sometimes are prescribed to help reposition the lower jaw and tongue, preventing airway collapse during sleep. These devices can reduce or eliminate sleep apnea symptoms, offering a comfortable alternative to CPAP therapy for many patients.
Is airway-centered dentistry safe and comfortable?
Airway-centered dentistry treatments are generally safe and comfortable when performed by a trained and experienced dentist. Fixed appliances such as MARPE, will make long term permanent changes to improve nasal breathing and positive oral volume. Removable appliance such as Invisalign can be used also but has less of an effect. Finally oral appliances such as MAD are custom-made to fit your mouth, ensuring a snug, comfortable fit. We reserve these removable devices for discerning patients who do not want to make long term changes to their teeth/jaw position.
Please feel free to contact us to learn more about how we can help you airway or sleep related problems, or request an appointment online.
