healthy kids Health in a Smile
A HOLISTIC SOLUTION TO IMPAIRED MOUTH SYNDROME IN CHILDREN
by Brooke Goode
O 22
ne of the first things we notice when we meet someone is their smile, so it is easy to understand why children with crowded teeth might be self- conscious when they encounter new people. But the condition is not
just a cosmetic concern. “Teeth crowding are surface markers of structural chaos below,” says Felix Liao, DDS, author of Your Child’s Best Face: How to Nurture Top Health & Natural Glow. Dental crowding results from a deficiency in jaw growth, which can contribute to a partially stunted face, narrower airway, poor sleep and consequent learning and behavior problems. According to a recent medical research review, its prevalence among children
and adolescents is up to 84 percent. Fortunately, parents can take steps to nur- ture healthy dental/facial development in their children so that there is enough room for all 32 teeth to line up straight and for the tongue to operate between the two jaws without occupying the airway. Crowded teeth are the tip of an iceberg called Impaired Mouth Syndrome (IMS), a term coined by Liao in 2017 for a wide-ranging set of medical, dental and mood problems in children, from sleep and growth disturbance to respira- tory infections and poor focus. According to a 2013 study by the Stanford Sleep
Central Florida
www.NACFL.com
Center, “Pediatric obstructive sleep ap- nea in non-obese children is a disorder of oral facial growth.” IMS is an all-too-common condi-
tion that often goes undiagnosed, untreated or incorrectly treated. The result is a child that falls short of their full genetic potential and an adult that suffers recurring pain and fatigue. An underdeveloped maxilla—the upper jaw that also forms part of the nose and eye socket—can lead to a litany of symptoms, including teeth grinding, a weak chin and jaw pain, and may also impact the appearance of the face, causing imbalanced features. By con- trast, a well-developed facial structure
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