Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts. Sleep apnea occurs when throat muscles relax and/or the brain does not send signals to the muscles that control breathing. If you snore loudly and feel tired even after a full night’s sleep, you may have sleep apnea. Early diagnosis and treatment in children are important to prevent complications that can affect children’s growth, cognitive development and behavior. Studies have shown that children with sleep apnea are more likely to have behavioral problems, poor school performance and many other issues such as: How do I know if my child has Sleep Apnea? During sleep, sleep apnea symptoms may include:

• Snoring
• Mouth breathing
• Snorting, coughing or choking
• Pauses in breathing
• Restless sleep
• Nighttime sweating
• Bed-wetting
• Sleep terrors
• Clenching/grinding teeth

Image Orthodontics knows that better rest leads to better energy and well-being, while poor sleep impacts every aspect of life. Our goal is to provide our patients with a chance for real change, through improved energy, sleep, and quality of life. Our sleep apnea treatment plans consist of several options for early orthodontic treatment with non-surgical and non-invasive mouth expansion, straightening and uncrowding of the teeth that help expand the breathing airways to help promote normal breathing.