Pediatric Sleep Apnea Treatment and Orthodontics: What Parents Should Know

Pediatric sleep apnea treatment can make a meaningful difference in your child’s health, behavior, and overall quality of life. For growing children, a full night’s rest is essential to daily functioning. Studies show that when kids get enough sleep, they’re better able to focus, manage emotions, and perform well in school. Most parents can attest to the differences in their children when they are fully rested. But when their slumber is disrupted by sleep apnea, those same children may struggle with irritability, poor concentration, and ongoing fatigue.

In some children, the structure of the jaw and airway plays a key role in sleep apnea. This is where interventions, including orthodontic treatment, may help.

What Is Pediatric Sleep Apnea?

Pediatric sleep apnea is usually obstructive sleep apnea. This occurs when your child stops breathing while sleeping due to an upper airway obstruction. A brief pause in breathing can disrupt your child’s sleep and leave them feeling restless during the day.

Children sometimes experience a blockage in their upper airway due to enlarged tonsils. Other factors that contribute to sleep apnea include jaw and teeth misalignment. A deep overbite or other bite issues can further restrict airflow during sleep, worsening sleep apnea symptoms. While asleep, symptoms include loud snoring, heavy breathing, restlessness (tossing and turning), teeth grinding, and bedwetting. Symptoms during waking hours include irritability, behavioral issues, and learning challenges.

These symptoms warrant evaluation. If your child shows signs of sleep apnea, the first line of defense is your pediatrician. They may conduct a sleep study and evaluate next steps, which sometimes includes coordinated intervention with our practice. With a team-based approach, we can assess all of the potential underlying contributors to help your child rest easy.

How an Orthodontist Assesses Sleep Apnea

Airway development and orthodontics are more connected than you think. At Orthodontists Associates of WNY, parent education plays a significant role in bridging that knowledge gap. So let’s explore how airway development and orthodontic treatment are connected.

When evaluating a child for sleep concerns, we closely examine how the airway functions. This includes reviewing imaging or records to understand the size and shape of the nasal cavity, the space behind the nose, and the throat, especially in relation to the tonsils.

If there is any obstruction in the airway, your child may have difficulty breathing through their nose. As a result, many children become mouth breathers. When a child primarily breathes through their mouth, their tongue tends to rest lower, allowing air to flow over it. While this may seem minor, it can have a lasting impact on the development of the mouth and jaw.

The tongue actually plays an important role in shaping the upper jaw. When it rests properly against the roof of the mouth, it helps the upper jaw develop to the correct width. But when the tongue stays low over time, the upper jaw may become narrow. Once this happens, it can also reduce the size of the nasal airway. This makes it even harder to breathe through the nose, creating a cycle where breathing and development continue to affect each other.

This is why some children don’t fully improve even after having their tonsils and adenoids removed. While that procedure can help clear part of the airway, it doesn’t always address the underlying structure of the jaw or nasal passages.

Pediatric Sleep Apnea Treatment

Treatment for pediatric sleep apnea depends on the underlying cause. In many children, enlarged tonsils and adenoids are addressed first. In some cases, orthodontic treatment can play an important role in improving airflow. By guiding the development of the upper jaw and creating more space, treatment may help support better breathing and improved sleep quality.

Often, the most effective approach involves coordination between medical providers and orthodontic care to address both the airway and the structure around it.

Depending on your child’s needs, orthodontic treatment may include:

• Palatal expanders: Palatal expanders widen the upper jaw, creating more space in the oral cavity. This can help increase airflow and may reduce airway obstruction in some cases of pediatric sleep apnea.
• Mandibular advancement: These devices may be an option for some children with craniofacial abnormalities contributing to sleep apnea. They reposition the lower jaw forward to increase upper airway space and reduce obstruction.

We want to do our part to support your child’s rest and healthy development. When you come in for a free consultation, we can better explain which treatment options may help your child sleep better.

Sleep Apnea Treatment Begins With a Free Consult

Early diagnosis and treatment of pediatric sleep apnea are essential to ensure your child’s well-being and development. By working closely with healthcare professionals, including pediatricians and orthodontists, you can explore a variety of treatment options tailored to your child’s specific needs. Our screening helps determine whether airway or jaw development may be contributing to your child’s symptoms. Specialized orthodontic interventions, such as palatal expanders or mandibular advancement devices, may be effective in improving your child’s sleep quality and overall health.

If you suspect your child may have sleep apnea, schedule a free consult with us and take the first step toward a more restful future for your child.