Airway-focused Dentistry. Treatment for Mouth Breathing, Airway Restriction and Sleep Disturbances

Airway Restriction & Mouth Breathing

At North Star Dentistry, we look beyond teeth — because how you breathe affects how you live.

Airway-focused dentistry identifies and treats the root causes of mouth breathing, snoring, sleep disturbances, and jaw development issues, helping children and adults breathe, sleep, and live better.

When your airway is narrow or blocked, the body compensates by mouth breathing which can lead to poor sleep, day-time fatigue, teeth grinding, TMJ tension, poor focus, dental crowding, and facial underdevelopment.

How Mouth Breathing Affects Health and Appearance

Chronic mouth breathing doesn’t just affect your sleep, it can change your facial structure and your oral health. When the mouth stays open and the tongue rests low instead of on the palate, it may lead to:

Long, narrow face shape
Dark under-eye circles or tired appearance
Dental Crowding, crossbite and malocclusion
Gummy smile or open bite
Underdeveloped chin or early double chin
Incompetent lip
Underdeveloped jawline or weak profile
Poor posture and head tilt forward
Chronic dry mouth & unexplained bad breath
Gum inflammation, redness and bleeding.
Frequent dental cavities.

In Children: It can restrict jaw and airway growth, causing dental crowding and sleep disturbances.

In Adults: It often shows up as snoring, nighttime grinding, gum inflamator fatigue that doesn’t improve until the airway is corrected.

Airway Dentistry TREATMENTS

Airway Care for Children

We evaluate your child’s airway, tongue posture, swallow patterns and facial development to encourage nasal breathing and proper jaw growth.

Our treatments for children ages (6-10 years) may include:

Myofunctional Appliances (breathing, swallowing & tongue appliances).
Orthodontic Expansion (Fixed, removable or Invisalign expanders).
Habit correction and habit breakers (tongue thrust, thumb sucking, etc).
Phase I and Phase II orthodontics

BOOK AIRWAY ASSESSMENT

Airway restriction in adults. Differences between nasal breathing and mouth breathing.

Airway Care for Teens & Adults

If you snore, grind your teeth, or wake up tired, the issue might not be your teeth, but your airway.

We identify structural or functional issues that limit airflow and create personalized plans in collaboration with ENT specialists using: