What is Airway Driven Orthodontic Expansion?

While palatal expansions can be done to broaden a person’s smile, they can also be performed to help patients breathe better. If you’re concerned about developing airway-related issues, you may want to consider an airway driven orthodontic expansion treatment. Get more information by checking out these commonly asked questions about orthodontic expansion.

What is Airway Driven Orthodontic Expansion?

Frequently Asked Questions About Orthodontic Expansion

What Exactly is Orthodontic Expansion?

Sleep-disordered breathing conditions, including obstructive sleep apnea, Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome (UARS), and snoring, are concerns you don’t want to ignore. Orthodontic expansion seeks to address this issue by physically expanding your palate via orthodontic appliances that apply gentle pressure to change the shape of your palate and lower jaw.

What are the Benefits?

  • Proper Tongue Placement 

Mouth breathing, snoring, and obstructive sleep apnea can be prevented by giving more room for your tongue to get suctioned up snug in your palate when you’re lying down. Since a vaulted palate doesn’t provide enough space for your tongue, the tongue goes back, blocks the airway, and causes breathing difficulties. Alternatively, orthodontic expansion can turn this around as it broadens the palate to give more room for your tongue.

  • Better Nasal Breathing

Did you know that narrow dental arches feature vaulted palates? Widening your dental arches via orthodontic expansion can help facilitate nasal breathing and lower this vault. Since your palate or the roof of your mouth acts as the floor of your nasal cavity, expanding the palate will also make your nasal cavity wider.

  • Overall Physical Health is Promoted

Most of those who end up being mouth breathers have developed congestions, specific allergies, or breathing habits while growing up. Instead of promoting growth and development, mouth breathing works to inhibit it.

Healthy human beings are supposed to be nasal breathers and not mouth breathers. Mouth breathing is considered a sleep-disordered breathing problem that’s directly associated with underdeveloped jaws. Orthodontic expansion corrects this issue and promotes your overall physical health.

What is Airway Driven Orthodontic Expansion?

Considering Airway Driven Orthodontic Expansion?

At Vero Beach Art of Dentistry, we make sure that you look better, breathe better, and feel better. Schedule your appointment with Dr. Hagood today!