Dear Patients,

“Do not pray for an easy life, pray for the strength to endure a difficult one.” ~ Unknown

Ten years ago I was asked to put together a presentation for our educational company on O.S.A. (obstructive sleep apnea). This is a difficult subject to lecture on because the disease process is often multifactorial (has many causes). Recently, Dr. Christian Guilleminault published an article regarding the impact of open mouth breathing during sleep and especially among children. This is a short excerpt from that paper:

“Treatment of pediatric obstructive sleep-apnea means restoration of continuous nasal breathing during wakefulness and sleep; if nasal breathing is not restored, despite short term improvements after adenotonsillectomy (TA), continual use of the oral breathing route may be associated with abnormal impacts on airway growth and possible blunted neuromuscular responsiveness of airway tissues. Elimination of oral breathing, i.e., restoration of nasal breathing during wake and sleep, may be the only valid endpoint when treating O.S.A. Preventative measures and usage of myofunctional therapy (orthotics appliances) are important approaches to treating O.S.A. and its multiple co-morbities”.

Should you or someone you love have mouth breathing issues, please contact our office for a consultation.

Sincerely,

Michael W. Dagostino, DDS

P.S.Please visit www.damagedfaces.com to see why extraction orthodontics is a bad idea.