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Tag: airway orthodontics

A Comprehensive Approach to Underdeveloped Jaws, Clenching, and Facial Asymmetry

Posted on by Dr Adams

Using MARPE + Invisalign on the Upper Jaw and a Homeoblock with Bite Plane on the Lower Jaw

For patients with small upper and lower jaws, the symptoms are often more than just crooked and crowded teeth. They may experience chronic clenching or grinding, TMJ discomfort, neck and trap tension, headaches, and facial asymmetry—along with breathing or sleep-related issues. In these more complex cases multiple airway orthodontic appliances may be necessary. In this article we discuss a protocol involving treatments using MARPE, Invisalign and Homeoblock appliances at the same time.

At our practice, we’ve developed a multi-faceted treatment protocol that targets the root of these problems by addressing skeletal development, neuromuscular function, and airway health all at once. This protocol combines:

Here’s how this powerful combination works.

Upper Jaw: MARPE + Invisalign (Simultaneously)

The combination of MARPE and Invisalign clear aligners is very powerful for people who need large amounts of palatal expansion and cranial-facial growth. We use MARPE for controlled skeletal expansion of the upper jaw. Unlike traditional rapid methods, we implement a slow, biologically guided expansion (MASPE), which allows the craniofacial structures to adapt more harmoniously.

At the same time, Invisalign aligners are used to:

Benefits of Clear Aligners with Palatal Expansion

  • Begin aligning the teeth during expansion
  • Minimize visible gaps like midline diastema
  • Help control tooth positioning as the palate grows
  • Expands the nasal cavity to improve breathing
  • Creates proper space for the tongue
  • Begins correcting the bite early in treatment, reducing total time

Lower Jaw: Homeoblock with a Neutral Bite Plane

Patients with clenching, facial asymmetry, or chronic muscle tension benefit tremendously from the Homeoblock appliance, especially when equipped with a customized bite plane. This bite plane is more than just a protective surface, it’s designed to establish a neutral bite position.

What Is a Neutral Bite Position?

A neutral position is a structural alignment where the muscles of the jaw, face, neck, and shoulders come to rest. When the bite plane is properly calibrated, it allows the jaws to close in this neutral position, which:

  • Unloads chronically overworked muscles of the jaw, head, neck, and traps
  • Reduces muscle tension and postural strain
  • Helps alleviate TMJ pain, neck tightness, and clenching-induced headaches
  • Provides a stable muscular foundation for functional bone remodeling

How It Guides Bone Growth

Because the neutral bite position stabilizes the jaw, it creates the optimal environment for the Homeoblock’s epigenetic stimulation to work effectively. The appliance gently encourages:

  • Lower jaw expansion, particularly beneficial when the lower arch is narrow
  • Improved jaw symmetry, as the muscles stop pulling unevenly on bony structures
  • Better facial balance, as growth patterns become more physiologically aligned

This makes the Homeoblock with a neutral bite plane critical for patients with facial asymmetries, chronic bruxism, and head/neck tension—not just for protecting the teeth but for driving cranial growth in the right direction.

Who Needs the Neutral Bite Plane?

Not every patient needs this level of intervention. Patients with airway problems, mouth breathing, or sleep-disordered breathing may benefit more from upper expansion and tongue space correction alone.

But for those who also suffer from:

  • Chronic clenching or grinding
  • Facial or jaw asymmetry
  • Neck, jaw, or shoulder tension
  • Postural dysfunction

The addition of a lower jaw expander with a neutral bite plane is essential for people who clench their teeth and have jaw and neck tension and headaches.

Why MARPE + Invisalign + Homeoblock Is So Effective

By addressing both skeletal structure and neuromuscular balance, this protocol:

  • Accelerates treatment by correcting jaw size and tooth alignment simultaneously
  • Relaxes and protects muscles and joints from overload during treatment
  • Enhances facial harmony through guided bone remodeling
  • Improves sleep and breathing by enlarging tongue space and thereby decreasing airway resistance and airway obstruction
  • Reduces the chance of relapse by creating a structurally and functionally stable bite

Summary: Function Meets Form

This combined protocol reflects the philosophy of airway-centered, craniofacial orthopedics: it’s not just about straight teeth, but about restoring harmony to the structure, function, and neurology of the face and jaws.

How is Airway Orthodontics Different Than Conventional Orthodontics?

Posted on by Dr Adams

Airway orthodontics is not just about straight teeth—it’s about helping children and adults breathe, sleep, and live better. At TMJ Sleep and Breathe Center, under the direction of Dr. Gary Adams, we take a holistic, whole-body approach to orthodontics that prioritizes one of the most fundamental pillars of health: the airway.

 

what is airway orthodontics

If you’ve ever wondered, “What is airway orthodontics?”—you’re not alone. It’s a question we hear every day from parents and adult patients alike. In this blog post, we’ll break down what airway orthodontics is, who it helps, and why our practice has become a trusted destination for patients from across the country seeking solutions for breathing and bite-related health concerns.

What Is Airway Orthodontics?

Airway orthodontics is a branch of orthodontics that focuses on the size, shape, and function of the airway—particularly how jaw structure, tongue posture, and oral muscle function influence breathing. While traditional orthodontics centers on the alignment of teeth, airway orthodontics addresses the underlying structural and functional problems that contribute to:

  • Mouth breathing
  • Snoring and sleep apnea
  • Forward head posture
  • TMJ dysfunction
  • Poor sleep quality
  • Behavioral issues in children

At its core, airway orthodontics is about creating more space—in the mouth, in the nasal passages, and in the throat—so the body can function the way it was meant to: with the tongue resting gently on the palate, lips sealed, and breathing occurring silently and efficiently through the nose.

Why Is the Airway Important in Orthodontics?

Breathing isn’t optional—it’s vital. The way we breathe shapes how our face grows, how we sleep, and how we feel during the day. When a child breathes through their mouth instead of their nose, especially at night, it often signals that something is wrong with their airway.

Chronic mouth breathing and poor tongue posture can cause:

  • Narrow palates
  • Recessed jaws and chins
  • Elongated faces
  • Crowded or crooked teeth
  • Enlarged tonsils and adenoids
  • Increased risk of sleep-disordered breathing and ADHD-like behavior

This cycle begins early in life and continues into adulthood if left unaddressed. That’s why early intervention matters—but adult treatment is also possible and often life-changing.

Common Symptoms Airway Orthodontics Can Address

In Children:

  • Mouth breathing (especially at night)
  • Snoring, gasping, or teeth grinding during sleep
  • Frequent ear infections or enlarged tonsils/adenoids
  • Crowded teeth, narrow arches
  • Dark circles under the eyes (“allergic shiners”)
  • Hyperactivity, poor focus, bedwetting

In Adults:

  • TMJ pain or jaw clicking
  • Sleep apnea or snoring
  • Daytime fatigue
  • Teeth clenching and grinding
  • Facial tension or forward head posture
  • Anxiety or brain fog from poor sleep quality

 

 

Our Holistic Approach to Airway Orthodontics

At TMJ Sleep and Breathe Center, airway orthodontics is not just a procedure—it’s a philosophy. We treat each patient as a whole person, not a set of teeth or symptoms. Here’s what makes our approach unique:

1. Biological or Slow Palatal Expansion

Unlike rapid palatal expansion (RPE), our Slow Palatal Expansion (SPE) protocol gently and gradually expands the upper jaw over time. This slow method respects cranial development and minimizes side effects like pain, asymmetry, or excessive diastemas (spaces between teeth). We have many different kinds of expanders and treatment modalities for adults and children.

Airway orthodontics is key to creating enough room for the tongue to rest on the palate—one of the most critical steps in restoring proper nasal breathing and resolving airway obstruction.

2. Clear Aligner Integration (Invisalign)

We often combine clear aligner therapy or clear braces, such as Invisalign, to:

  • Guide teeth into healthier, more stable positions
  • Maintain aesthetics during treatment
  • Prevent or correct bite issues without bulky metal braces
  • Close or prevent spaces as the jaw expands

This dual approach maximizes efficiency and delivers both functional and cosmetic results. Look at it as we get the mouth and jaw to be the right size and shape first. And then guide the teeth into a proper bite. Sometimes teeth movements are not necessary and expansion is all that is needed.

Our most popular treatments for kids include:

  1. Schwarz Expander
  2. Myobrace
  3. ALF Appliance
  4. Lip and Tongue Tie Releases

Our most popular treatment for adults include:

  1. MARPE combined with clear braces/Invisalign
  2. Homeoblock and Vivos appliances

 

3. Tongue, Lip, and Buccal Tie Releases

Structural restrictions like tongue-tie (ankyloglossia) can prevent the tongue from resting on the roof of the mouth. This leads to mouth breathing, poor swallowing patterns, and airway collapse during sleep.

We use the LightScalpel CO2 laser to gently release:

  • Tongue ties
  • Lip ties
  • Buccal ties

These procedures are minimally invasive and offer quick recovery—especially when paired with therapy.

4. Myofunctional Therapy

Myofunctional therapy is the “muscle retraining” component of airway orthodontics. Our team collaborates with myofunctional therapists to help patients:

  • Retrain their tongue to rest on the palate
  • Seal their lips at rest
  • Breathe through the nose
  • Swallow properly without facial tension

This therapy is essential for reinforcing structural corrections and promoting long-term success.

5. TMJ and Bite Correction

We address TMJ dysfunction by improving the way the teeth come together (the bite) and how the jaw relates to the rest of the skull. Many TMJ issues are the result of narrow palates, retruded jaws, or clenching caused by airway obstruction.

Our comprehensive treatment helps:

Why Patients from Across the U.S. Choose Us

Patients travel from all over the country to see Dr. Gary Adams and our team at TMJ Sleep and Breathe Center. Why? Because we go beyond the conventional orthodontic model.

We specialize in:

  • Treating pediatric sleep apnea and mouth breathing without surgery
  • Early intervention for developing jaws and facial structures
  • Offering adult palatal expansion and bite correction options
  • Avoiding CPAP and other mechanical airway devices
  • Providing comprehensive, coordinated care with myofunctional therapists, ENTs, and other specialists

Our goal is to optimize airway health through safe, natural, and biologically appropriate treatments.

Airway Orthodontics vs. Traditional Orthodontics

Feature Traditional Orthodontics Airway Orthodontics (Our Approach)
Focus Teeth alignment Breathing, structure, function
Age of Intervention Usually ages 12+ As early as age 4–6 (and adults!)
Appliance Braces or aligners Expanders, aligners, myofunctional  therapy
Root Cause Addressed? No Yes
Treats TMJ/Sleep Issues? Rarely Always considered

Is Airway Orthodontics Right for You or Your Child?

If you or your child struggle with sleep, jaw tension, clenching, mouth breathing, or bite problems, airway orthodontics could be the answer. Our treatment is safe, effective, and customized to your specific anatomy and symptoms.

The earlier we intervene, the more we can support proper growth. But even in adults, results can be life-changing.

Schedule Your Consultation

Ready to find the root cause of your breathing, sleep, or jaw issues? We’re here to help.

Book a consultation at TMJ Sleep and Breathe Center today and take the first step toward improved breathing, better sleep, and a more balanced, beautiful smile.

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