Elite Dental of Staten Island

Business Hours
Monday:
9.00am to 5.00pm
Tuesday:
12:00pm to 8:00pm
Wednesday:
9.00am to 5.00pm
Thursday:
9.00am to 5.00pm
Friday:
CLOSED
Saturday:
CLOSED

How do airway concerns affect your child’s behavior?

The development of your child’s face and mouth can greatly affect their ability to breath and sleep, as well as causing a number of ongoing health problems

Many parents don’t realize the importance of ensuring your child’s airways are clear and free of obstruction. Problem behaviors such as hyperactivity, lack of attention, and trouble concentrating on simple tasks which are often misdiagnosed as ADHD, can all be linked to airway problems.

Airway obstruction is often caused by a number of reasons such as, allergies, abnormal development of the jaws, crowded teeth, oversized adenoids, and improper posture. As the body’s cells use oxygen to generate energy, obstruction of the airway can greatly affect your child’s quality of life.

Diagnosing airway problems

Children and adolescents often have a higher chance of developing breathing problems if they have a family history of sleep apnea. This risk also increases if your child is overweight, has small airways in their nose, throat, or mouth; or has enlarged tonsils in their throat.

Every dentist should be able to spot sleep-related problem breathing symptoms in children and there are a number of effective screening options to help specifically diagnose children’s airway problems. Often, symptoms such as excessive sleepiness or hyperactivity are enough to warrant airway treatment; however, oral signs of sleep disorder including obstructive tonsils, mouth breathing, venous pooling under the eyes, and a higher, narrow plate will also be cause for sleep evaluation treatment. In more severe forms, children’s airway problems can actually lead to sleep apnea.

Why visit the dentist to treat airway problems?

Although it may seem odd to visit the dentist to treat symptoms of sleep-related problems, dentists undergo years of training around how to treat symptoms affecting the craniofacial form and function. During development, the airway, mode of breathing and malocclusion are so inter-related that they should be treated holistically by your dentist, rather than by separate parties.

Your dentist will be able to develop an individual treatment plan to not only help cure any airway concerns but also manage and reduce the risk of re-occurrence.

Children’s airway questionnaire

The Elite Dental of Staten Island team has created a questionnaire, targeted at identifying symptoms of airway obstruction. The questions gather information about personality traits your child displays and certain behaviours which could be linked to sleep-related airway problems.

By completing the questionnaire, you could gain a valuable insight into whether your child should be referred for sleep evaluation treatment at Elite Dental of Staten Island. Take a look at our questionnaire here!

Children’s airway treatment at Elite Dental of Staten Island

Dr Steve Acker and the team at Elite Dental of Staten Island are proud to provide effective and high-quality treatment to our patients in the New York area. We recognize the importance of early intervention of airway concerns and encourage parents to seek treatment as soon as symptoms become noticeable.

Whether you’re in Staten Island, Brooklyn, Manhattan, or even New Jersey, book a consultation at Elite Dental today!