The Problem
Our jaws are shrinking!
Your child’s face and jaw development determines everything from proper airway volume to the position and alignment of their teeth, even their facial beauty!
Scientists have found that our modern lifestyles and processed diets have altered our gene expression, resulting in smaller jaws. This is a serious concern because it impacts our ability to breathe and sleep correctly, causing a multitude of other issues!
The Cause
IT’s all linked and it’s Multifactorial
Soft food diet
Less Breastfeeding (Not always in our control, no judgement please!)
Low tongue posture
Mouth breathing
Chronic nasal congestion, allergies, rhinitis
Chronically enlarged tonsils and adenoids
Narrow, under-developed jaws
Compromised airway
Habits: Thumb, dummy or finger sucking
The symptoms
SDB (Sleep Disordered Breathing), snoring, teeth grinding, ADHD like symptoms, irritability, daytime tiredness, poor focus, memory, compromised academic performance, low stamina.
Our smaller jaws impact our airway development, which can lead to a wide variety of other symptoms and health issues.
Dentists can - and do! - play an essential role in caring for patients with certain sleep-related breathing disorders (SRBD), and they are well-positioned to identify patients at greater risk of SRBD. These disorders can be caused by many different things and are treated most successfully when dentists and medical professionals work together.
The Prevalance
Who does it affect?
A recent study found that up to 84% of kids have malocclusion (crooked teeth), which is a visual sign of the underdeveloped jaws that cause possible breathing issues.
In children, a dentist’s recognition of poor jaw or facial development (or other risk factors) early on may lead to a medical referral or intervention to treat and/or prevent SRBD. Because these issues are often related to smaller jaws and mouth breathing, it’s critical to train patients to shift to nasal breathing instead.
The solution
How can you help your child?
Habit correction - eliminate digit/ thumb and dummy sucking habits as early as possible. Invite the ‘Dummy Fairy’ one evening, and ditch that thing!
Proper muscle posture and control - muscles determine healthy jaw development. Myofunctional therapy and activities can aid in correcting poor habits that develop in the lips, cheeks and tongue. Correction can help with speech, pronunciation, chewing, breathing and sleep! (Sign up for your free Myofunctional Activity Schedule)
Dental Palate Expanders - These are prescribed and custom made by a qualified Dentist or Orthodontist, and can help expand the top jaw, to help resolve early crowding, crossbites and other malocclusions. Early orthodontic intervention can start from age 6 and be successful until age 12-13yrs old.
Sleep - A corner stone to all of our health, but a huge driver in your child’s daytime performance, behaviour, IQ, stamina, and emotional control.
Diet- Refined sugars, white breads, processed foods- these all slow jaw development and good bony growth. Expect more dental crowding, narrow jaws and poorer overall health outcomes. Whole foods and vegetable rich, hard food diet, that requires chewing will improve the dental arch development, and final tooth position!