Mint Hill Smiles

Dentist in Mint Hill, NC

Pediatric Airway Orthodontics at Mint Hill Smiles - Airway dentist Mint Hill NC

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Airway Dentistry · Mint Hill, NC

Most parents who bring their child in for airway treatment at Mint Hill Smiles tell us the same thing

They had never heard of pediatric airway orthodontics until they stumbled across it. Someone in a parenting group mentioned it. They fell down a rabbit hole researching why their child snores. And then they spent weeks trying to figure out what it means, who treats it, and whether their child actually needs it.

If that sounds familiar, you are in the right place.

Airway dentistry is one of the fastest growing areas in dentistry and one of the least talked about. It sits at the intersection of how a child’s jaw develops, how they breathe, and how well they sleep. When something is going wrong in any of those areas, the effects ripple through almost every aspect of a child’s health, behavior, and development. The reason most parents have not heard about it is not because it is rare. It is because most dental and medical providers are not trained to look for it.

At Mint Hill Smiles, we are. And it is something I am deeply passionate about.

Airway Dentist CBCT Evaluation Mint Hill NC

What Airway Dentistry Actually Is

Airway dentistry, also called pediatric airway orthodontics, is the practice of identifying and treating structural issues in the jaw, palate, and airway that affect how a child breathes, especially during sleep. The most common structural issue is a narrow upper palate, which limits the space available for the tongue to rest properly, forces the child to breathe through the mouth, and restricts the airway in ways that affect sleep quality even when the child appears to be sleeping fine.

A child with a narrow palate often develops crowded teeth, a high narrow arch, a long and narrow face over time, and a jaw position that is further back than it should be. They may snore. They may grind their teeth at night. They may wake frequently or be difficult to rouse in the morning even after a full night in bed. They may be inattentive at school or unusually hyperactive, not because of a behavioral diagnosis but because they are chronically sleep-deprived from airway restrictions that nobody has identified.

The critical thing to understand about airway issues in children is that they are not going to resolve on their own. The jaw and palate develop on a predictable timeline, and if the conditions driving a narrow airway are not addressed during the years when growth is still occurring, the window for the least invasive intervention closes. What can be treated with a simple palate expander at age six or seven may require jaw surgery at age twenty-five.

Early detection is everything.

Signs Your Child Might Have an Airway Issue

You do not need a medical degree to notice most of the signs that suggest a child deserves an airway evaluation. Here is what we ask parents to watch for.

During sleep, breathing should be nasal and silent. If your child snores regularly, breathes through their mouth during sleep, sleeps in unusual positions, chin tilted up, neck extended, curled in a ball, or wakes frequently, those are signs worth investigating. Bed wetting in older children and teeth grinding are also associated with sleep-disordered breathing in children.

During waking hours, mouth breathing is the most visible and consistent sign. A child who breathes through their mouth consistently, not just when they have a cold, is doing so because nasal breathing is difficult or uncomfortable for them. Crowded teeth, a high narrow palate, a small or recessed chin, and dark circles under the eyes despite adequate sleep time are all structural indicators of a problem.

Behaviorally, children with sleep-disordered breathing are frequently misidentified as having attention or behavioral issues. Daytime drowsiness, irritability, difficulty concentrating, and hyperactivity are all downstream effects of poor sleep quality, which in a child with an airway restriction, is happening night after night without anyone connecting it to the cause.

If several items on this list describe your child, you should bring them in for an airway evaluation. The consultation is complimentary and will give you a clear picture of whether there is anything that should be treated early..

Airway Dentistry in Mint Hill NC

My Training and Why This Work Matters to Me

I want to tell you a little bit about why I do this work, because I think it matters when you are deciding who to trust with your child’s care.

I became interested in pediatric airway orthodontics through continuing education years into my general dentistry practice. It is crazy to me that I was never taught any of this in dental school. When I started learning what was possible, how early intervention could change the trajectory of a child’s development, sleep, and long-term health, I felt like I had found the thing I was meant to do. I have completed training through the Airway Health Solutions at both the pediatric and early pediatric levels, trained with Dr. Zaghi at the Breathe Institute, completed Vivos pediatric training, and hold Myobrace certification. I am continuing to expand my orthodontic training with Dr. Audrey Yoon, a leader in airway focused orthodontics. 

Treating a child’s airway is one of the most impactful things I can do in dentistry. Better sleep. Better development. Better behavior. Better health. All from addressing something structural that most people did not know a dentist could help with.

What Treatment Looks Like

Airway treatment at Mint Hill Smiles begins with a thorough evaluation that includes your child’s dental and medical history, a review of any sleep or behavioral concerns you have noticed, photographs, and a CBCT cone beam scan when clinically indicated. The CBCT gives us a three-dimensional picture of your child’s airway, jaw, and palate that a standard X-ray cannot provide, it is one of the most important diagnostic tools in airway dentistry and having it in-house means we can complete the evaluation without sending your child to a separate imaging center.

As your trusted airway dentist Mint Hill NC, we prioritize your child’s health and comfort.

Based on what we find, treatment may involve one or more of the following.

A palate expander is the most common starting point for children whose upper arch is narrow. It is a custom-fitted appliance that applies gentle, consistent pressure to the sutures of the palate over several months, creating space, for the tongue, for the teeth, and for the airway. Digital technology like intraoral scanners and 3D printers allow us to design and deliver appliances with a precision that makes the fit more comfortable and the treatment more effective.

Growth guidance appliances like a Vivos appliance or Myobrace are used for younger children to encourage proper tongue posture, nasal breathing, and jaw development during the early years when habits are forming and growth is most influenced by environmental factors.

Treating a jaw that is still actively growing rather than waiting for all the permanent teeth to come in will lead to better outcomes for your child.

The process at Mint Hill Smiles is thorough. A family consultation takes approximately an hour. We review findings together, explain what we see in plain language, answer every question, and walk you through a phased treatment plan and the associated costs before you commit to anything.

The Investment and What Patients Tell Us

If you have orthodontic coverage as part of your dental insurance plans they may provide some benefits towards your child’s treatment. We verify your specific coverage before your consultation.

We hear two common concerns when parents learn about the investment. The first is whether it is worth it. The honest answer is that for children who really need it, it absolutely is, not just for their oral health but for their sleep, their behavior, their development, and the long-term avoidance of more invasive treatment. The second concern is whether their child will tolerate wearing an appliance. This is a valid question and the answer depends on the child and the appliance. We design appliances that are as comfortable as possible, and we support families through the adjustment period. The large majority of children who start treatment complete it successfully.

Sleep Better Charlotte: Our Dedicated Airway Brand

Because airway treatment is such a distinct and specialized area of care, we have built a dedicated brand around it called Sleep Better Charlotte. The Sleep Better Charlotte website at sleepbetterclt.com goes deeper into the science of sleep-disordered breathing in children, the specific treatment approaches we use by age group, and what parents have experienced going through treatment with us.

If you want to learn more before scheduling a consultation, that is the best place to go. If you are ready to talk, call us directly.

Visit sleepbetterclt.com to learn more →

How We Find Airway Issues at Routine Visits

One of the advantages of being a patient at Mint Hill Smiles is that we screen for airway concerns at every child’s dental visit, not just dedicated airway consultations. When a hygienist or doctor looks in your child’s mouth for a cleaning and exam, we are also looking at the palate width, the arch shape, the tongue posture, the tonsil size, and the overall relationship of the jaw. If we see something that should be discussed, we’ll bring it up.

This means that children who are regular patients at MHS have a built-in airway screening at every appointment. For many families, that is how the airway conversation starts, not because they came in looking for it but because we noticed something and brought it to their attention.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions About Airway Dentistry

We see children as young as three for airway evaluations. The earlier a problem is identified, the simpler the treatment and the better the outcome. That said, it is not too late to evaluate a child at any age during their growing years. We treat children up to fifteen, and we tailor the approach to what is developmentally appropriate for each age group.
Discomfort with a palate expander is typically mild and temporary and most children experience some soreness after adjustments that resolves within a day or two. Speech is temporarily affected in the first few weeks as the tongue adapts to the new space. The large majority of children adjust within a few weeks and manage the appliance well with parental support and encouragement.
Airway issues in children do not typically resolve on their own. A narrow palate does not widen without intervention. Mouth breathing becomes habitual and the muscular and structural patterns it creates become increasingly ingrained over time. An evaluation will tell us clearly what is happening and what the best treatment option would be for your child. We never recommend treatment that is not clinically indicated.
Sometimes, yes. If enlarged tonsils or adenoids are contributing to the airway restriction, we may recommend an ENT evaluation alongside or before orthodontic treatment. We communicate with other providers involved in your child’s care and think of airway treatment as part of a collaborative approach to your child’s overall health.
Absolutely. A complimentary airway consultation is available for families who want a professional evaluation and a clear answer about whether their child’s development is on track. You do not need a referral. Come in with your questions and we will help you figure out if there is anything you should do right now.

Ready to Find Out More?

Call us at (704) 323-7577 to schedule a complimentary airway consultation for your child. You can also visit sleepbetterclt.com for a deeper look at the science and treatment approach, or visit minthillsmiles.dentist to book online.

We are at 11300 Cresthill Drive, Suite 105, Mint Hill, NC 28227. We serve families from Mint Hill, Matthews, Indian Trail, Stallings, Weddington, Midland, Albemarle, and throughout southeast Charlotte and the greater Charlotte area.

Every child deserves to breathe well and sleep better. We would love to help yours do both.

Book your appointment today