Does your child snore loudly, struggle with restless sleep, or wake up feeling tired? Unfortunately, these symptoms could be a warning sign of sleep apnea. While it may seem harmless, sleep apnea can lead to developmental delays, learning difficulties, and even long-term health issues. However, recognizing the symptoms early and seeking the right treatment can significantly improve your child’s sleep and quality of life.
Our team at Airway Dental and More provides comprehensive sleep dentistry services for children with suspected sleep apnea. With our advanced diagnostic capabilities and airway-focused approach, we help families identify and address the underlying causes of sleep-disordered breathing. We offer customized treatment plans that consider your child’s facial development, dental health, and airway function to improve both their sleep quality and overall well-being.
What Is Sleep Apnea in Children?
While sleep apnea is more often connected with adults, it can also affect children. It is characterized by repeated stops and starts of breathing during sleep, leaving you restless and tired the next morning. This can happen because of a blockage in the airway–obstructive sleep apnea–or due to the brain not sending the proper signals to your body to breathe–central sleep apnea. The most common type found in children is obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
Unlike adults who may snore loudly or feel excessively sleepy during the day, children with sleep apnea can show various symptoms that may not always seem related to breathing issues. Identifying these symptoms early is key to ensuring your child gets the peaceful sleep they need for healthy growth and development.
Signs Your Child May Have Sleep Apnea
It is sometimes easy to overlook sleep apnea in children because symptoms can often be subtle or mistaken for other conditions like ADHD. Here are some common signs to look out for both at night and during the day that may indicate your child has sleep-disordered breathing:
Nighttime Symptoms
Nighttime symptoms may include:
- Loud snoring
- Pauses in breathing
- Gasping or choking
- Restless sleep
- Bedwetting
- Frequent nightmares
- Teeth grinding
Recognizing these nighttime symptoms early can help you take the right steps to ensure your child gets proper treatment and more restful sleep.
Daytime Symptoms
Daytime symptoms may include:
- Morning headaches
- Irritability or mood swings
- Difficulty focusing
- Hyperactivity
- Tongue-tie
- Dry or cracked lips
- Thumb sucking
Because these daytime symptoms can often be mistaken for behavioral or learning issues, it’s vital that your child receives an evaluation and diagnosis from an airway-focused dentist to determine whether sleep apnea is the primary cause rather than other conditions.
Treatment Options For Children With Sleep Apnea
The good news is sleep apnea in children is treatable, and there are several approaches your airway-focused dentist can take, depending on the severity of the condition. From removing tonsils and adenoids to oral appliances and myofunctional therapy, here are some common treatment options if your child is diagnosed with sleep apnea:
Removing Enlarged Tonsils or Adenoids
The most common causes of obstructive sleep apnea in children are enlarged tonsils and adenoids. In many cases, surgically removing the tonsils and adenoids can significantly improve or even resolve your child’s sleep apnea symptoms. If your child frequently has tonsil infections or difficulty breathing through their nose, this might be an effective solution to their sleep-disordered breathing.
Oral Appliances
In some cases, a dental device, similar to a retainer, may help keep the airway open by repositioning the jaw. A pediatric dentist with expertise in airway-focused dentistry can determine if this is suitable for your child.
CPAP Therapy
For children with moderate to severe sleep apnea who don’t improve with surgery, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy may be recommended. A CPAP machine supplies a steady stream of air through a mask to keep the airway open while sleeping.
Myofunctional Therapy
Myofunctional therapy is a set of exercises designed to strengthen the tongue, jaw, and throat muscles to improve airway function. Since weak oral and facial muscles can contribute to sleep apnea, working with a myofunctional therapist can help retrain these muscles and reduce airway blockages. This treatment benefits children with poor oral posture, mouth breathing, tongue thrust, or improper swallowing patterns.
At Airway Dental and More, we take a holistic approach to dental care by diagnosing and addressing the main cause of your child’s sleep apnea to improve both their dental and airway health. If you suspect your child may be suffering from sleep apnea, please contact us to schedule an appointment.
How Airway Dental and More Can Help Treat Your Child’s Sleep Apnea
At Airway Dental and More, we’re dedicated to providing top-notch care for children experiencing sleep-disordered breathing. Our team takes a comprehensive approach to pediatric sleep apnea, focusing on the connection between dental health, facial development, and proper breathing. Using advanced diagnostic technology and extensive airway dentistry experience, we create personalized treatment plans tailored to your child’s specific needs. We understand parents’ concerns when their child is diagnosed with sleep apnea, which is why our caring team provides thorough education and support throughout the treatment process.
Our airway-focused dental services include oral appliance therapy, myofunctional therapy guidance, and collaboration with other healthcare providers when necessary to ensure the best outcomes for your child. For more information or to schedule a consultation for your child, please call us at (904) 268-4466 or visit our contact form.
