Airway Health

When we speak of airway in a dental setting, we are most often referring to disruptions in breathing during sleep. Sleep Disturbed Breathing and Sleep Apnea are examples of these disruptions. 

Quality sleep is essential to proper growth and development of a child both physically and mentally. For optimal neurodevelopment, a child must get proper sleep. Additionally, the symptoms of many behavioral disorders mirror those of airway disorders in children. Because of this, many providers working in pediatrics need tools to screen children for these disorders. 

There are many oral manifestations of airway disorders that can been seen by keen oral examination. A thorough examination focused on airway health can screen for many correlated factors. 

 

Our office employs CBCT (cone beam computed tomography) x-ray to visualize a child's airway. This system has many significant advantages over traditional medical imaging. For one, our unit utilizes the lowest possible radiation exposure currently available. The exposure needed for airway assessment is similar to the radiation exposure a person would get during routine dental bitewing radiographs. 

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The cost of dental CBCT is significantly lower than most other medical imaging modalities and it can be done simply in the dental office without the need to travel to an offsite imaging center or require patient sedation. 

The CBCT image can be used to visualize many orofacial structures and can help screen for anatomical abnormalities, project airway disorder risk levels and guide treatment plans.

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This evaluation is an invaluable tool for dentists, orthodontics, pediatricians, therapists and others who care for children.