Airway-Focused Dentistry
in Marina del Rey
Take the First Breath Towards Better Health
Why Choose Yeo Family Dental Group for Airway-Focused Dentistry?
Many people don't realize the connection between airway health and their overall well-being. Yet, a clear airway and functional breathing are essential to every bodily system. At Yeo Family Dental Group, our experienced and dedicated team takes a unique approach to dentistry – one focused on optimizing your airway health for better breathing, better sleep, and a healthier you.
Mother-daughter dental team Dr. Yeo and Dr. Jamie combine their expertise with advanced technology to provide personalized airway-focused dentistry solutions in Marina del Rey, serving Playa Vista, Venice, Culver City, Playa del Rey, and beyond.
Airway Dentistry at a Glance
- A comprehensive approach to dentistry that promotes better breathing for improved overall health.
- Addresses sleep breathing disorders like obstructive sleep apnea and snoring
- Treats disordered breathing patterns like mouth breathing
- Improves nasal breathing, tongue posture, and oral muscle function
- Enhances facial development and aesthetics
Breathe Easier. Live Better.
What is airway dentistry?
Airway dentistry is a new and growing field focused on the airway and breathing patterns. Airway dentists examine signs and symptoms of airway obstruction and provide therapies to improve your breathing, comfort, and quality of life. Our team recognizes the crucial role the airway plays in the health and well-being of our patients. Our comprehensive approach considers how your airway, breathing patterns, and facial development all work together.
Comprehensive Diagnosis and Treatment
How does airway dentistry work?
There's no single "procedure" in airway-centered dentistry. Rather, we look for functional issues and breathing patterns that can cause discomfort and lead to future health problems if left untreated. The most common airway problems include sleep disorders, like sleep apnea, and mouth breathing, a disordered breathing pattern that can increase your risk of gum disease and tooth decay. After diagnosing any issues, we create a comprehensive treatment plan based on the individual needs of the patient. Our most common airway dentistry treatments are outlined below. Learn more by scheduling your personal consultation with Dr. Yeo or Dr. Jamie today.
Airway Assessment
We begin by evaluating your airway and oral cavity to identify any airway obstruction or issue that might be affecting your breathing. Breathing issues can be caused by an underlying structural cause or disordered breathing patterns.
Breathing Disorder Management
If you suffer from sleep breathing disorders (sleep apnea, upper airway resistance syndrome, or snoring) or disordered breathing patterns (mouth breathing), we can provide treatment as well as collaborate with sleep physicians and ENTs to develop a comprehensive plan.
Oral Appliances
We may recommend the use of specialized appliances to improve your airway function, tongue posture, and oral muscle function. Oral appliance therapy can alleviate sleep breath disorders like sleep apnea, reduce snoring, and significantly improve your health and quality of life. Oral devices for sleep apnea are worn in the mouth during sleep to keep the airway open and maintain an optimal sleep cycle. Here are the main types of appliances and how they work:
Mandibular Advancement Devices (MADs)
These devices look similar to mouthguards or orthodontic retainers. They reposition the lower jaw (mandible) slightly forward and downward to keep the airway open during sleep. Moving the jaw forward helps prevent the tongue and soft tissues at the back of the throat from collapsing and blocking the airway.
Tongue Retaining Devices (TRDs)
Tongue retaining devices hold the tongue in a forward position using a suction bulb, which prevents it from collapsing back into the throat and obstructing the airway. TRDs are especially useful for individuals whose tongues contribute significantly to their airway obstruction.
Hybrid Devices: Hybrid devices combine elements of both MADs and TRDs. They might advance the jaw and stabilize the tongue at the same time.
Mouth Taping: Mouth taping is a practice where a small piece of tape is placed over the lips to keep the mouth closed during sleep, encouraging nasal breathing. This technique helps improve breathing by ensuring that the air passes through the nose, where it gets filtered, humidified, and warmed before reaching the lungs. Mouth taping can enhance oxygen exchange efficiency, maintain proper levels of carbon dioxide, and reduce the likelihood of dry mouth, bad breath, and dental issues such as gum disease and tooth decay. Additionally, it can help decrease snoring and improve sleep quality, leading to better overall health and well-being.
Hybrid Devices
Hybrid devices combine elements of both MADs and TRDs. They might advance the jaw and stabilize the tongue at the same time.
Mouth Taping
Mouth taping is a practice where a small piece of tape is placed over the lips to keep the mouth closed during sleep, encouraging nasal breathing. This technique helps improve breathing by ensuring that the air passes through the nose, where it gets filtered, humidified, and warmed before reaching the lungs. Mouth taping can enhance oxygen exchange efficiency, maintain proper levels of carbon dioxide, and reduce the likelihood of dry mouth, bad breath, and dental issues such as gum disease and tooth decay. Additionally, it can help decrease snoring and improve sleep quality, leading to better overall health and well-being.
Myofunctional Therapy
Myofunctional therapy exercises can help strengthen oral and facial muscles, improve swallowing patterns, and promote optimal airway function to correct disordered breathing.
Whole-Body Health Benefits
What are the benefits of airway dentistry?
Airway dentistry offers a range of potential benefits:
- Improved sleep quality and reduced sleep apnea symptoms
- Enhanced facial development and aesthetics, leading to a more balanced and harmonious appearance
- Improved nasal breathing, which can lead to better overall health and well-being
- Reduced snoring
- Improved focus and concentration
- Reduced headaches and jaw pain
Putting the Pieces Together
Am I a candidate for airway dentistry?
If you experience any of the following, you may be a good candidate for airway-focused dentistry:
- Difficulty sleeping or frequent waking up at night
- Snoring
- Chronic mouth breathing
- Dry mouth
- Sleep apnea diagnosis
- Crowded teeth or a misaligned jaw
- Headaches or jaw pain
Enhanced Comfort and Quality of Life
Results of Airway-Centered Dentistry
The timeline for seeing results with airway-focused dentistry varies depending on the specific treatment plan. Some improvements, like reduced snoring, may be noticeable relatively quickly. More complex issues, like sleep apnea, may require ongoing treatment and collaboration with other specialists. Our airway dentists will discuss what to expect during your consultation, ensuring you clearly understand each step of your treatment and the concrete benefits that airway treatments can provide.
Airway-Focused Dentistry
Frequently Asked Questions
Poor airway health can lead to conditions like sleep apnea, upper airway resistance syndrome, snoring, and chronic mouth breathing, which can cause issues such as fatigue, cardiovascular problems, reduced cognitive function, and behavioral issues in children.
Addressing airway issues early on can potentially improve overall health and well-being, reduce the risk of sleep apnea and other health problems, and promote healthy facial development.
What signs of sleep-related breathing disorders and other airway issues might our dentists look for?
We look for signs such as mouth breathing and indicators in the oral structures, such as crowded teeth, a high upper palate, large tonsils, tongue tie, and wear on the teeth from grinding.
Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder where you periodically stop breathing while you sleep. People with sleep apnea, especially obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), may encounter a variety of health conditions, including feeling tired during the day, high blood pressure, increased risk of heart attack, brain fog and difficulty concentrating, mood and mental health issues, weight gain, poor immune function, erectile dysfunction in men, and other issues that impact your health and quality of life. Our team can help you get better sleep by creating oral appliances that keep the airway open. Mandibular advancement devices (MADs) and tongue-retaining devices (TRDs) are the main appliances used to treat sleep apnea.
Nasal respiration is important because it filters, humidifies, and warms the air before it reaches the lungs, which helps protect the respiratory system. Nasal breathing also promotes better oxygen exchange in the lungs and maintains optimal carbon dioxide levels in the blood, enhancing overall respiratory efficiency. Additionally, the nose produces nitric oxide, which aids in dilating blood vessels and improving blood flow, supporting cardiovascular health. In contrast, using your mouth to breathe can lead to dry mouth, increased risk of infections, and dental issues such as gum disease and tooth decay, making nasal breathing healthier and more efficient.
Some insurance plans may cover certain aspects of treatments by our airway dentists. Our team can help you verify your coverage and understand your out-of-pocket costs.
