Airway orthodontics is an approach to orthodontic care that looks at how the jaws, tongue and nasal airway work together, and plans treatment to support comfortable nasal breathing as well as a straight smile in context of oral facial balance and harmony. At Premier Orthodontics & Dental Specialists, Dr. Corina Radu, an experienced board-certified orthodontist, provides airway-focused evaluations for adults and children at our Elmhurst and Downers Grove offices.
What Is Airway Orthodontics?
Traditional orthodontics concentrates on lining up the teeth. Airway orthodontics asks one more question: is there enough room? A narrow upper jaw often means a narrow nasal floor, less space for the tongue and crowded teeth. During treatment planning we look at:
– your facial type and direction of growth if we’re dealing with a growing patient
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- The width of the upper jaw, the width and height of the palate relative to the lower jaw
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- Tongue space and resting tongue posture
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- The position of the upper and lower jaws in relation to the face
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- Breathing habits, including mouth breathing during the day or at night
- the ability to bring your lips together without any strain, without needing to “tape them” or “meaowing”
The goal is to achieve a balanced harmonious face, a stable bite and a jaw structure that supports breathing through the nose.
What Signs Suggest an Airway Concern?
In adults, common signs include snoring, waking up tired, mouth breathing, teeth grinding or clenching, crowded teeth, a narrow smile and a crossbite. Sometimes the crossbite is camouflaged by seeing excessive tipping of the lower molars towards tongue side. In children, parents often notice mouth breathing, snoring, restless sleep, a narrow palate, crowded teeth or a long, narrow facial growth pattern.
These signs do not confirm an airway problem on their own. They are good reasons to schedule an evaluation.
How Does Airway Orthodontics Help Adults?
Adult jaws are no longer growing, so a conventional expander that pushes only on the teeth has limited effect on the bone. IN many patients, that is not safe, it will create more periodontal problems with areas of bone and gum tissue recession, very hard and expensive to correct once the roots are pushed too far out of the skeletal base. Adult treatment relies on techniques designed for mature bone:
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- MARPE (Mini-implant Assisted Rapid Palatal Expansion), MASPE (Mini-implant Assisted Slow Palatal Expansion and MSE (mini implant skeletal expansion): a mini-implant-supported expander that widens the upper jaw itself. In many adults this achieves skeletal expansion without jaw surgery (SARPE or two or three piece maxillae)
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- SARPE: surgically assisted expansion, used when the mid-palatal suture is too mature to open with MARPE alone.
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- MMA (maxillomandibular advancement): jaw surgery that moves both jaws forward, planned together with an oral and maxillofacial surgeon for patients with a significant jaw discrepancy.
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- Braces, lingual braces or clear aligners: used before and after expansion to align the teeth and finish the bite. See our types of braces for the options.
Which path fits you depends on your age, bone maturity, how much expansion is needed and what your imaging shows. Learn more about orthodontic treatment for adults.
How Does Airway Orthodontics Help Children?
Children are still growing, which makes expansion simpler and more predictable. Early orthodontic treatment can widen the upper jaw, create room for permanent teeth, reduce the chance of extractions later and encourage nasal breathing while the face is still developing.
Breathing habits matter more than most parents realize. A child who breathes through the mouth most of the time (yes, even while staring at a tablet) often develops a narrow upper jaw, a high palate and a tongue that rests low in the mouth. Over time that can lead to crowding, crossbites and other bite problems. When the nose does the breathing, the tongue rests up against the palate and helps guide the upper jaw to grow wider, the way nature intended.
That is why we look at breathing at every growing child’s exam. We assess how your child breathes at rest, recommend appliances that guide jaw growth when needed, and coordinate with your pediatrician or an ENT if something like large tonsils or adenoids may be blocking the nose. Every child should have an orthodontic evaluation by age 7.
Can Orthodontics Treat Sleep Apnea?
Obstructive sleep apnea is a medical condition that is diagnosed by a physician, usually with a sleep study. Orthodontic expansion and jaw advancement can increase airway space, and research shows improvement in some patients, but results vary from person to person. Orthodontic care works alongside your sleep physician, ENT or CPAP therapy. It does not replace them.
What Happens at an Airway-Focused Evaluation?
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- An examination of your bite, jaw width and facial balance
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- Imaging when it is needed to assess the jaws and airway
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- A conversation about your sleep and breathing history
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- A referral to a sleep physician or ENT when the findings call for one
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- A clear explanation of your treatment options
Airway Orthodontics Near Elmhurst, Downers Grove and Chicago
Our Elmhurst office is convenient for patients from Oak Brook, Oakbrook Terrace, Villa Park, Lombard, Glen Ellyn and Addison. Our Downers Grove office serves also Willowbrook, Burr Ridge, La Grange, Darien, Lisle, Hinsdale, Clarendon Hills, Westmont, Wheaton, Woodridge and Napreville. Patients from Chicago are welcome at either location, and both offices are in the western suburbs close to I-290, I-88 and I-355.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is airway orthodontics only for children?
Not at all. Children benefit from early guidance of jaw growth for a myriad of reasons, and adults can be treated with MARPE, SARPE or jaw surgery combined with inside hidden lingual or traditional braces, or clear aligners like Invisalign. Your teeth will not know the difference, they will react to pressure, however, you really need to take into consideration your lifestyle and compliance. If you do not see yourself wearing 24/7 clear plastic aligners, then go for traditional or completely hidden lingual braces, or a hybrid approach.
Does MARPE/MASPE require surgery?
MARPE/MASPE are non-surgical procedures. The design of the appliances, number, location and length of the screws are based on individual CBCT that we take, or we can use others as long as we can read it and it has <0.2 voxels. The custom expanders and the mini-implants are placed with local anesthetic also in our office. It is NOT a big deal, minimal discomfort due to minimal local anesthesia. No need for hospital stay or antibiotics, just pain medicine thereafter for a 1-2 days. SARPE is the surgically assisted alternative for patients whose bone is too mature for MARPE. It is very predictable, and if your medical history is compromised, with underlying health issues, it may be indicated over other options. For that, we do refer to other skilled oral maxillo facial surgeons with extensive training in orthognathic surgery and OSA.
How long does adult expansion take?
The active expansion phase is usually measured in weeks to a few months (fast versus slow), followed by a holding period and then braces or aligners. Dr. Radu will give you a personal timeline after your evaluation.
Schedule an Airway Evaluation
If you or your child snores, breathes through the mouth or has crowded teeth, an evaluation can identify whether jaw structure is part of the picture. Request an appointment or contact our Elmhurst or Downers Grove office, or better, use this link to find a slot that works with your schedule, and book yourself the appointment: https://patient.evosmiles.com/dashboard. It will automatically send you the New Patient and a Medical History form!