Sleep Related Breathing Disorders
WHAT IS SLEEP DISORDERED BREATHING?
As parents we want to give our children the best opportunities to succeed in life. What if something as simple as breathing could be interfering with your child’s success? Sleep Disordered Breathing (SDB) is an all–inclusive term for breathing difficulties, ranging from mild snoring to a severe obstruction during sleep (sleep apnea). When your child’s breathing is disrupted, his or her body recognizes the disruption much like choking, therefore, slowing the heart rate, raising the blood pressure, arousing the brain, ultimately disrupting sleep. This prevents proper brain function for the next day and often leads to several medical complications.
SIGNS & SYMPTOMS
Unfortunately, 9 out of 10 children suffer from one or more symptoms of sleep apnea. Symptoms like ADHD/ADD, bed-wetting, night terrors, poor school performance, snoring and mouth breathing are just some of the outer signs of the underlying root cause. These symptoms do not self-correct. In fact, 92.6% of children will continue to exhibit these symptoms throughout their life and 30% will worsen with age.
(JAOS, Brooke Stevens and Dr. Earl Bergersen)
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What’s Wrong With Mouth Breathing?
Is Snoring Normal?
Why Is My Child Still Wetting The Bed?
Could There Be Other Reasons For My Child To Exhibit ADHD/ADD And Other Behavioral Problems?
Can Some Learning Difficulties Be A Result Of Lack Of Good Sleep?
WHAT IS THE SOLUTION?
We now have the ability to identify these issues and provide a solution for sleep apnea. After a thorough review of the medical history and a dental examination, if the root cause of these problems is of dental nature, an appliance therapy may be indicated to properly position the upper and lower jaw relative to each other and to the bones of the face. A great alternative to straightening teeth without braces, HealthyStart® is a comprehensive, conservative, non-pharmaceutical, and non-invasive treatment that uses a child’s own ability to guide their growth and development while helping them get the quality night sleep that they deserve. It promotes an open airway, proper growth of the jawbones, better tongue position, proper nasal breathing and eliminates bad oral habits. Just as nature intended! Appliances can be used in children as young as two. It also helps older children with sleep issues even if growth and development has already occurred. Most patients report a significant decrease in SDB symptoms when consistently wearing the appliance.
HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOUR CHILD GETS QUALITY SLEEP EACH NIGHT?
Please take a moment to fill out the Sleep Breathing Assessment so you can begin to evaluate the quality of your child’s sleep. Mouth breathing, tossing and turning, bed wetting, teeth grinding, bad dreams, and sleep walking are just some of the signs of sleep disordered breathing that can affect a child’s sleep and even have an effect on the whole family.
Dr. Maribel Santos-Cordero has been expertly trained to identify the root causes of SDB and is certified in the HealthyStart® appliance system. If you suspect your child is suffering from Sleep Disordered Breathing, don’t wait any longer. Take the Sleep Breathing Assessment and call our office NOW for a SDB consultation: Sarasota Office Phone Number (941) 907-7762!
