The HealthyStart System

Does your child exhibit the following symptoms

  • Mouth Breathing
  • Snoring
  • Swollen tonsils/adenoids
  • Crooked teeth
  • Tooth grinding
  • Bed Wetting
  • Nightmares
  • Sleep talking/walking
  • Frequently wakes up at night
  • Daytime sleepiness
  • Difficulty in School
  • Challenges with focus, behavior, and learning
  • Irritability/Anger
  • Aggressive Behavior

If so, they could be suffering from sleep-disordered breathing. Many common childhood health concerns can actually be traced back to developmental problems with the jaws, teeth and oral function. At Holistic Dental Centers, we focus on preventing dental problems whenever possible to help our patients enjoy oral health and overall wellness. We are proud to offer our patients the HealthyStart System. The HealthyStart program is a departure from traditional orthodontics which aims to correct crooked teeth. Instead, HealthyStart focuses on preventing them along with improving oral function and overall health. To learn more about the HealthyStart system, call Holistic Dental Centers at (704) 765-3150 (Cornelius).

Benefits of the HealthyStart System

  • Aids in guiding proper jaw development
  • Prevents crooked, overcrowded teeth
  • Guides proper oral function for lifelong stability of the teeth and muscles
  • Treatment can begin sooner than traditional orthodontics
  • Benefits the child’s overall health and well being

What is Sleep Disordered Breathing?

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Nine out of ten children have sleep-disorder breathing symptoms. Sleep-Disordered Breathing is a general classification for a range of breathing problems from mild cases of snoring to obstructive airways. If your child experiences disruptions in breathing during the night, it sends a signal to the body that indicates less available oxygen. The body’s response is then to slow down the heart rate, raise the blood pressure, and arouse the brain, all of which result in disrupted sleep on many different physiological levels.

If your child snores loudly, gasps or mouth breathes frequently while sleeping, it could be a sign of sleep-disordered breathing.

The connection between Sleep Disordered Breathing and Dental Problems

It has been discovered through research that many children who suffer from sleep-disordered breathing also have underdeveloped jaws and dental arches. When the dental arches are narrow or displaced too far back it is often noticeable when looking at the child’s profile.

The root causes for this are linked to dysfunctions in tongue position and function, lip posture, breathing, and in the ability to swallow correctly. If this condition and or dysfunctions are left untreated, it will prevent proper development of the jaws, disrupt the airway, and could eventually lead to years of treatment in braces. Future implications could result in TMJ disorders as well as adults suffering from obstructive sleep apnea.

Before & After Treatment