Custom Treatment for Your Child at ASE Dental
Tooth alignment issues can begin at an early age and cause various problems, including pediatric sleep-disordered breathing. At ASE Dental, our Silver Spring dentist offers HealthyStart™, a custom orthodontic intervention treatment. It’s always best to treat any problems early on to prevent future complications and uncomfortable procedures.
If you’ve noticed any signs of sleep-disordered breathing in your child, or other issues that could be treated with early orthodontic intervention, schedule an appointment at our dental office by calling (301) 593-5500.
What Is HealthyStart™?
HealthyStart™ utilizes custom removable oral appliances to guide permanent teeth to erupt in their proper locations. These orthopedic and orthodontic sleep devices aid in proper teeth, jaw, and mouth alignment as your child grows. Since HealthyStart™ allows for alignment while your child is still growing, it creates a clear airway and later straightens their teeth without the need for uncomfortable braces.
What Is Pediatric Sleep-Disordered Breathing?
Pediatric sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) inhibits a child’s breathing during sleep due to constricted nasal passages and obstructed airways. Not only does this cause low sleep quality, but it can also contribute to the development of issues in the mouth and jaw that can cause teeth crowding or other alignment problems.
The following symptoms may indicate that your child is suffering from sleep-disordered breathing:
- Snoring
- Snorting or gasping during sleep
- Drowsiness
- Bedwetting
- Irritability
- Attention disorders
- Teeth grinding
- Headaches
- Mouth breathing
- Lack of expected growth or development
- Nightmares
- Asthma
Consequences of Untreated Sleep-Disordered Breathing
If you believe your child is suffering from SDB, it’s important to seek treatment as soon as possible. Early treatment can ensure your child won’t undergo further health consequences and they can achieve a lifetime of healthy sleep.
Some consequences of untreated sleep-disordered breathing problems include:
- Decreased energy and obesity
- Poor behavior and learning
- Impaired growth and development
- Bedwetting
- Social concerns
If you’re worried that your child is showing signs of SDB, call our Silver Spring dental office today at (301) 593-5500 to schedule an appointment and get them the treatment they need.
How HealthyStart™ Works
The HealthyStart™ treatment system works in three phases.
Habit Correction
The first phase involves habit correction. This phase helps to eliminate or correct oral habits that can damage your child’s dental health. Your child will wear the habit corrector appliance while they sleep. The design is similar to a pacifier, ensuring they’ll get used to wearing it throughout the night. The habit correction phase typically lasts between one and five months.
Phase Two
Next, your child will receive a new customized appliance to wear each night. It aids their incoming teeth into their proper positions, corrects jaw relations, and expands their arches for incoming adult teeth. Your child will wear this device between two and six months.
Phase Three
The final phase of their treatment requires a device that accommodates their incoming permanent teeth. This phase begins when your child has at least four adult teeth. It’s an extremely important part of treatment as their adult teeth are forming and the gum tissues are starting to attach to the teeth in the mouth. HealthyStart™ treatment works to ensure the teeth erupt properly in the mouth.
Frequently Asked Questions
The HealthyStart™ system provides patients with various benefits. Not only will it give them a properly aligned smile at a young age, but it will also potentially allow them to avoid future orthodontic treatment or oral surgery. Also, having a straight smile positively influences a child’s nutrition, speech patterns, and confidence levels.
HealthyStart™ also addresses sleep-disordered breathing, improving various physiological and behavioral symptoms that can result from the condition.
If you’re interested in exploring the benefits of HealthyStart™ and wondering whether your child is a good candidate, schedule a consultation with Dr. Bassford. Typically, children should receive early orthodontic intervention treatment as soon as signs of problems begin to arise and before a significant number of their adult teeth erupt. To schedule your consultation, call our Silver Spring dental office at (301) 593-5500.
Schedule Your Consultation Today!
At ASE Dental, we want to help you set your child up for dental health success and prevent future sleep or orthodontic problems. With the HealthyStart™ system, we can help your child achieve a properly aligned smile and prevent pediatric sleep-disordered breathing. To find out if your child could benefit from the HealthyStart™ treatment, call our Silver Spring practice at (301) 593-5500. You can also request more information online.