Addressing Oral Development Issues
At Beyond Smiles of Park Ridge, we prioritize your entire family’s oral health and well-being. This is why we offer holistic treatment options designed to address structural oral health issues and airway-related breathing problems. Some examples of conditions we help treat include obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), crowded teeth, mouth breathing, and snoring.
Our dedicated dental team provides state-of-the-art solutions tailored to your unique needs. Some treatments include airway orthodontics, such as clear aligner therapy, myofunctional therapy, and growth guidance appliances for kids.
If your child is struggling with orthodontic issues, mouth breathing, a sleep-related breathing disorder, TMJ, or poor orofacial development, we have solutions. We’re highly skilled in diagnosing these types of issues and identifying the source of the problem.
No matter what condition is impacting your child’s oral health, you can count on us to find the best treatment option available. Contact us today to schedule an appointment and learn more about our variety of services.
What Is A Growth Guidance Appliance?
Many people believe orthodontic issues are simply caused by genetics. While this is true to some extent, improper breathing, thumb sucking, other habitual factors, and poor orofacial development can be the root cause. The reverse is also true; dental problems like bite misalignment and malocclusion can cause airway-related issues and improper orofacial development.
For patients with poor orofacial development, orthodontic concerns like crooked teeth can be just the tip of the iceberg. Breathing-related conditions and disorders, such as snoring, sleep apnea, and habitual mouth breathing may also arise, impacting daily life and overall health.
Growth guidance appliances are innovative dental devices designed to address such issues head-on. These specially crafted appliances promote growth of the upper jaw in children whose bones are still developing. This provides a foundation for orthodontic treatment while also paving the way for improved breathing by expanding the airway.
The tongue should naturally rest at the roof of the mouth, just behind the front, top teeth. Often, narrowing of this area can lead to issues like OSA, poor breathing habits, crooked teeth, TMJ, and more. A growth guidance device is fitted to the top of a patient’s mouth where it slowly remodels the oral structure, creating more space for the tongue.
Each appliance is tailored specifically to the individual to gradually shape the upper jaw. The primary goal of this intervention isn’t merely to align teeth, but to promote growth in the right direction.
Benefits of Growth Guidance Appliances
Growth guidance appliances offer several advantages for young patients, including:
- Targeted Treatment: These appliances focus on guiding growth. This addresses the root cause of many structural and breathing-related oral health issues, offering a solution before kids reach the age where surgery is unavoidable.
- Enhanced Airway Function: By promoting forward facial growth, growth guidance appliances can aid in reducing snoring, sleep apnea, mouth breathing, etc.
- Orthodontic Precursor: By addressing underlying orofacial development concerns, a growth guidance appliance sets the foundation for a healthier, more aligned smile and future orthodontic treatment (when necessary).
- Non-Surgical Solution: For many young patients, growth guidance appliances offer a non-invasive alternative to surgical interventions, providing effective results without the associated risks and downtime.
- Better Facial Growth and Shape: A narrow anterior palate can lead to improper facial development. Often, this results in a longer, flatter face and soft chin. Growth guidance appliances can help reestablish proper facial growth, leading to a fuller, more aesthetically pleasing face shape.
- Reduces the Need for Extensive Dental Procedures: Growth guidance dental therapy reduces the likelihood your child will require extensive dental work, like tooth extractions or jaw surgery, later in life.
While growth guidance appliances have proven beneficial for many, it’s essential to receive a comprehensive evaluation before undergoing treatment. At Beyond Smiles of Park Ridge, our team will work closely with you to understand your child’s oral health needs. We will then recommend the best treatment option available.
Removable Growth Guidance Appliances
Not all growth guidance appliances are built the same. You may have heard of both fixed and removable options.
Removable growth guidance appliances are used for young children. Unlike with fixed appliances, removable ones can be taken out, offering flexibility for eating and cleaning. Removable appliances require patient discipline for effective treatment outcomes.
Growth Guidance Appliances VS Expanders
Unlike conventional expanders that focus on palate expansion, growth guidance appliances promote forward growth. Both of these dental appliances are appropriate treatment options for poor orofacial development.
Cost of Growth Guidance Appliances in Park Ridge, IL
The cost of growth guidance appliances, as well as similar devices like palatal expanders, varies from case to case. To learn more about growth guidance therapy costs in Park Ridge, IL, contact us to schedule an appointment. Our team at Beyond Smiles can help you find the right treatment for your budget.
Experience the Beyond Smiles Difference
Choosing Beyond Smiles of Park Ridge means choosing a practice that’s dedicated to your oral health. We offer a patient-centered approach and always ensure your family receives the highest standard of care.
If you’re looking for a solution to your child’s structural or breathing-related oral health issues, contact us to schedule an appointment. We offer solutions that include growth guidance appliances, breathing coaching, orthodontics, and more.