Online Dental Education Library
- Cosmetic Bonding, to repair small chips or cracks
- Cosmetic Gum Surgery, to frame your teeth beautifully
- Crowns & Bridgework, to replace large amounts of lost tooth structure and/or missing teeth
- Dental Implants, for the longest-lasting tooth replacement available today
- Inlays & Onlays, to fill teeth with larger cavities
- Invisalign® Clear Aligners, for highly discreet orthodontic treatment
- Orthodontic Treatment, to move teeth into the right position
- Porcelain Veneers, for repairing larger chips and cracks, and reshaping teeth
- Removable Dentures, to help you smile again
- Teeth Whitening, to brighten a faded or discolored smile
- Tooth-Colored Fillings, for a completely natural, healthy look
- Tooth Contouring & Reshaping, for a pleasing tooth shape
- Oral Cancer Screenings, to detect disease at a curable stage
- Periodontal (Gum) Disease Therapy, to prevent tooth loss
- Professional Teeth Cleanings, to maintain good oral health
- Root Canal Treatment, to save an infected tooth
- Sealants, to protect children's teeth from decay
- TMJ/TMD Treatment, for chronic jaw pain
- Tooth Extractions, when a tooth is hopelessly damaged or decayed
- About Dental Implants
- Bone Grafting for Dental Implants
- Frequently Asked Questions About Dental Implants
- Hidden Consequences of Losing Teeth
- Top Reasons to Choose Dental Implants
Emergency Dental Treatment
If you have a life-threatening or severe injury, call 911 or go directly to the nearest hospital emergency room. We can treat a variety of traumatic dental injuries, including teeth that have been chipped, moved, or knocked out entirely. Please call our office for assistance.
The number of children diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) has been steadily increasing over the past decade. Yet according to a recent study, many children diagnosed with this condition don't really have it; their behavioral problems are actually related to sleep-related breathing disorders (SRBD), such as sleep apnea.
The 2012 study, published in the journal Pediatrics, followed more than 11,000 children for six years, starting when they were 6 months old. The children who had SRBD were 40 percent to 100 percent more likely than kids without breathing issues to develop behavioral problems resembling ADHD by the age of 7. So if your child is exhibiting ADHD-like symptoms — or has even been diagnosed with ADHD — it's worth considering whether interrupted sleep might be an issue.
It makes perfect sense when you think about it: A well-rested individual, young or old, can function a lot better on a good night's sleep. Yet a lack of sleep affects adults and children differently. While sleepy adults tend to act sluggish and drowsy, sleep-deprived kids are more likely to become hyperactive, uncooperative and unable to focus — just like kids with ADHD.
So what exactly is SRBD?
The condition is characterized by recurrent episodes of interrupted breathing during sleep. The child's airway becomes blocked by soft tissues near the back of the throat — tonsils or the tongue, for example — that partially close off the windpipe. These tissues can vibrate as air passes by, causing snoring. It's often worse while sleeping on one's back because this encourages the lower jaw to slip back, which in turn pushes the tongue in front of the airway.
Overweight children have a higher incidence of sleep apnea due to fatty tissue deposits in the soft palate, which decrease the size of the child's airway.
Does your child have a sleep-related breathing disorder? You can gather clues to report to your health professional by observing your child sleeping. Look for the following signs:
- Pauses in breathing
- Chronic mouth breathing
- Constant tossing and turning
- Night panics
How is sleep apnea treated in children?
There are various treatments that can be very effective, depending on the cause. Enlarged tonsils and adenoids can be surgically removed. A therapy known as Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) involves the use of a machine that delivers mild air pressure through a mask worn during sleep to keep the airway open.
Dentistry also can also play a role in treatment. For younger children who are still growing, the use of an orthodontic appliance called a palatal expander has proven helpful in some cases. A palatal expander gently widens the roof of the mouth (palate) over time by separating bones that don't permanently fuse together until puberty. It's most often used to create more room for crowded teeth, but the expansion can also increase airflow.
Older children who have stopped growing can sometimes benefit from Oral Appliance Therapy (OAT). This involves wearing a custom-made oral appliance designed to reposition the jaw during sleep so that the tongue is held away from the back of the throat, reducing the potential for obstruction.
The first step is to figure out what's keeping your child from getting the restful sleep that's so crucial to good health and well-being. For that to occur, and for your child to receive the best treatment, you will need to see a trained professional.
Sleep Disorders & Dentistry If my partner snores loudly, should I be concerned and what can be done to alleviate the problem? Why does my sleeping partner have lapses in breathing while sleeping and is it dangerous? Why do I wake up exhausted even though I get up to 10 hours of sleep at night? The answers to these and other questions — and how dentistry can help — are all revealed within... Read Article