When young children have issues with breathing well at night, this could impact how well they can pay attention or behave during the day, impacting their education and emotional milestones. Which is why our team wants to help with our pediatric airway evaluations. In today’s blog, your Dallas, TX, family dentist talks about how poor breathing could impact your child, and how we can help!
Limited Breathing and Poor Behavior
For some children, complications with the growth of their oral structures and the eruption of their teeth could lead to limited breathing at night. This could include mouth breathing and even sleep apnea caused by airway obstruction. Without proper rest, kids have trouble focusing on tasks at school, as well as reaching regular emotional milestones. Their behavior at home and school can be difficult, and they can fall behind. The same underlying factors could also lead to speech difficulties, chronic bad breath, and an increased risk of cavities and even periodontal disease.
Pediatric Evaluations
If your child has poor sleep, which could include fidgeting, waking in the night multiple times, or having trouble going to bed or waking up, then consider bringing your little one in for a pediatric evaluation. With advanced digital imaging systems, including digital x-rays, we can conduct a detailed and thorough examination of their mouth and oral structure to assess whether they have trouble breathing at night. If so, we can then create a personalized treatment plan to bring relief and help your child rest easier and be more productive and better behavior during waking hours!
Treatment with an Oral Appliance
For some children, we may suggest starting orthodontic care to help correct misalignment and bite imbalance. We could also address imbalance with the placement of crowns or the use of dental bonding to restore teeth. But for many, we could create a custom-fitted oral appliance, a device that fits like a mouthguard and is worn while they sleep. This can help reposition the jaw and oral structures to prevent restricted airways so kids can breathe easier and sleep fully, without interruptions and other difficulties. They can wake more refreshed and alert, and experience improvements in behavior, pallor, and even the freshness of their breath.
If you have any questions about our pediatric evaluations, or if you would like to schedule one for your little one, then reach out to our team today to get started!
Your Dallas, TX, Dentist Provides Care for Children
Our team wants to help kids enjoy good oral health and smiles that make them feel confident. For more information on pediatric dentistry, then please schedule a consultation by calling the Viva Dental Family Dentistry office nearest you at (214) 337-7800 (Dallas) or (972) 437-6000 (Richardson).
