The vast majority of dental visits are focused exclusively on the teeth. But not at New Hampshire Smile Co., where Dr. Neveu wants every patient coming through our doors in Nashua, NH to receive a more holistic treatment. An airway evaluation is a clinical, scientific, and evidence-based assessment of all the mouth and airway structures, breathing, and other anatomical factors that are involved in the ability of a patient to breathe effectively enough for both good air quality and good sleep. Because of Dr. Neveu’s extensive education in airway-related dentistry, an airway-focused awareness is part of every comprehensive dental examination at our office. And any patient who comes to our practice exhibiting the signs or symptoms of poor airway function gets a detailed and objective assessment that they never got before at a dental office.
Why Airway Health Is Important
The airway has nothing to do with dentistry. It is an important component of oral health that affects the quality of sleep, as well as the heart and brain, mood, energy, and the overall quality of life, but many people have never considered dental appointments as being related to this:
- The mouth and pharynx structures that we routinely evaluate for tooth decay, tooth wear, or periodontal disease may be the key structures that make the airway either remain open or close down during sleep.
- Many dental problems, such as narrow arches, tongue ties, crowding, high palatal vaults, or worn tooth surfaces, can be a reflection of problems with the airway.
- Addressing the dental symptoms, such as tooth wear, but ignoring the airway problem as one of the causes for teeth grinding and tooth wear, is treating the symptom, not the actual cause.
Common Signs Of Airway Dysfunction
The signs or symptoms of an airway problem are many, and recognizing the signs that an airway evaluation may be a good addition to a comprehensive dental visit is one of the most impactful things that an appointment at New Hampshire Smile Co. can offer to help you better your overall health:
- Excessive tiredness or daytime fatigue, even when getting enough hours of sleep
- Loud snoring with observed pauses in breathing
- Headaches, dry mouth or sore throat in the morning
- Tooth grinding/clenching that has failed to respond to nightguards
- Pain from a temporomandibular disorder (TMJ) that is worse during sleep
- Mouth breathing during the day or during sleep
- Problems focusing, mood changes or other behavior issues in children
- Narrow arches, severe crowding, or a high palatal vault
- Dark circles around eyes, fatigue, or looking unwell even though you had a good night’s sleep
The Connection Between Breathing & Sleep
One of the most important relationships in medical care today is between the airway and good sleep. It is something that a good dental appointment can help you determine and address if there is an actual problem with the airway:
- When there is restriction to the airway during sleep, it will interrupt sleep cycles with arousal events that the patient is never conscious of, but that significantly affect how refreshed the patient feels in the morning.
- When a patient is chronically breathing less well and has chronic periods of low oxygen during sleep, it can lead to excessive daytime tiredness, brain fog, and stress to the cardiovascular system that the patient typically attributes to stress, aging, or bad habits rather than poor airway function.
- The teeth-related factors that cause airway issues, such as tongue position, jaw alignment, palate shape, and soft tissue size, are visible and can be treated with oral care.
Evaluating Oral Structure & Airway Anatomy
An oral airway assessment at New Hampshire Smile Co. examines oral and pharyngeal structures that are directly involved in airway function:
- Evaluation of the tongue position at rest, size, and motion within the palate
- Evaluation of the width and shape of the palatal arch for airway restriction
- Evaluation of tonsil size and soft tissue for its contribution to airway obstruction during sleep
- Evaluation of crowding and wear of the teeth and the bite for its impact beyond the teeth
- Evaluation of the frenum attachment for the tongue tie affecting the tongue position at rest
- Evaluation of the jaw position and the growth of the mandible for its impact on the posterior airway space
How Airway Dysfunction Affects Overall Health
Poor sleep affects not only sleep, but many other areas of your health as well, and Dr. Neveu discusses your oral health care and sleep health needs honestly and completely for your benefit in every related appointment:
- Increased risk of cardiovascular disease for the chronic intermittent hypoxia resulting from sleep-disordered breathing
- Hormone-related changes associated with a disrupted, oxygen-depleted sleep for weight gain and metabolic disorders
- Inflammation due to sleep deprivation and intermittent oxygen deprivation during sleep
- Facial growth and development, dental arch growth and development, and behavior in children, leading to academic difficulty and long-term health consequences for those affected at a younger age and treated early with myofunctional, and or orofacial muscle training and appliances
Airway Diagnosis With Advanced Technology
We utilize the following technologies for an airway assessment:
- CBCT 3D imaging reveals airway dimensions, bone morphology, and anatomy that is beyond 2D imaging
- 3D comprehensive photography documents the oral structures and facial anatomy relevant to your airway assessment to better communicate airway information with you
- 2D x-ray with AI analysis identifies airway relevant findings with the sensitivity to support thorough diagnosis and evaluation
What To Expect At Your Airway Evaluation
We have a clear and unhurried review with every patient to communicate what was found in their airway assessment and what your treatment options are so that you understand what was found and the next steps before we begin care. If your airway assessment identifies conditions requiring a referral for care outside of our scope of care as dentists, we will provide a referral to a doctor specializing in sleep medicine, otolaryngology (ENT), or myofunctional therapy to work alongside New Hampshire Smile Co. to address your airway in Nashua, NH.
Book your appointment online or call our office today.