What is Sleep-Disordered Breathing (SDB)?

Pediatricians often overlook the signs and symptoms of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) and fail to refer patients in a timely manner for necessary treatment. Kids can be screened for SDB as young as age two. Not only do SDB patients have more allergies and growth and development challenges, but also SDB can contribute to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder among children. You can read more about the risks of childhood SDB here.

The Connection between SDB and Orthodontics

The connection between SDB and orthodontics has been well established in the literature, but most general dentists, pediatric dentists, and orthodontists are cognizant of it. Oral habits and malocclusion go hand in hand with SDB. Diagnosing and treatment planning SDB early can minimize not only the outward symptoms but also the long-term systemic and oral health complications. Most orthodontists and pediatric dentists, however, lack the formal education and training to adequately diagnose and treat these conditions in children before age seven.

Healthy Start® Explained

The best treatment to enhance both the oral and systemic health of SDB-affected children is the Healthy Start® System. Unlike other systems, Healthy Start® not only eliminates oral habits but also establishes and maintains the airway and, when started early, corrects malocclusion. Moreover, with early treatment, also straightens teeth without the necessity for traditional braces and lifetime retention.

Let’s have a look at some of the major reasons why the Healthy Start® System is established to be the best treatment choice for SDB-affected children:

➢ The appliances used by the Health Start® System have intrinsic, myofunctional properties. These components ensure that myofunctional exercises are being completed even while sleeping.
➢ The Healthy Start Habit Corrector® is often the initial appliance in the system. This patented appliance can expand arches up to 4 mm. This often eliminates the need for painful, fixed, rapid palatal expanders.
➢ The Healthy Start Habit Corrector® also helps to keep the mandible advanced while sleeping to keep the airway patent. It ensures the proper tongue placement and trains the tongue to swallow ideally and to rest in the optimal position.
➢ Healthy Start® also uses the natural, healthy, eruptive forces of the teeth for expansion of the arches and alignment. When started early, it can help treat severe malocclusion cases like overbite, overjet, gummy smile, crossbite, open bite, and pseudo class III along with correcting crowding and spacing up to 12 mm.
➢ The Health Start® System supports growth and development in both arches and promotes mandibular growth, when indicated, up to 54% in a healthy downward and forward direction.
➢ Healthy Start® appliances have a built-in compliance indicator.
➢ Progress can be tracked, quantified, and monitored by the doctor through the Healthy Start® app and doctor dashboard.

This is available in both Apple and Google Play stores at no cost to the patient.

In Conclusion

In conclusion, oral and airway health are related to a child’s overall systemic health. The Healthy Start® System has treated over 3.5 million smiles to date globally with a lab fee that is only 30% of many aligner systems available today. This US-based company for SDB and orthodontics, when started early, offers a healthy, nighttime, hygienic, and removable treatment alternative to painful braces, jaw surgery, premolar extractions, and headgear.

General and Pediatric Dentists may need an orthodontic coach to help guide them through case selection and some of the obstacles they may encounter throughout the duration of treatment. StraightSmile Solutions® is the first online portal to provide a customized orthodontic coaching solution for every practice. Visit StraightSmile Solutions® to get started.