
Thankfully, orthodontics involves much more than just straightening teeth. Although that is the advantage of orthodontic treatment that is visually apparent, orthodontics also offers ways to address speech impairments. Many people may pass up the chance to have treatment to address the issue of problems such as sleep apnea in children because they are unaware of the link between orthodontic treatment and speech problems.
It is a known fact that your body heals and repairs itself in large part while you sleep, but did you also know that the quality of your sleep can be significantly impacted by your oral health? There is a significant chance that orthodontic treatment can assist if your snoring, sleep apnea, or teeth grinding are keeping you up at night.
The harmony of your mouth and tongue is frequently determined to be the cause of speech problems, but that isn't the only function that influences speech. Speech can also be significantly impacted by genetic conditions and jaw abnormalities, which are far more challenging to treat. Orthodontic treatment can be used to cure speech difficulties like a lisp or a whistle when speaking.
Your jaw and mouth muscles unwind with the rest of your body as you sleep. Although this relaxation is completely normal, sleeping on your back can be problematic since it narrows the throat and causes your jaw to reposition itself. You start to snore as you struggle to breathe through that tight area. You should definitely bring up snoring with your dentist when you have your next appointment.
Because it corrects the angle between the tongue and the roof of the mouth, which is what allows speech to flow properly, orthodontic therapy is successful in treating speech issues. The majority of speech problems that can be fixed with braces are brought on by a poor connection between your tongue and the roof of your mouth. Orthodontics cannot treat speech problems brought on by other factors, such as heredity or facial deformities.
Your bite, jaw alignment, and how your teeth come together when you close your mouth could all be contributing factors to your snoring and sleep apnea. Common bite issues include overbites, in which the upper front teeth overlap the lower front teeth, underbites, in which the lower front teeth are in front of the upper front teeth, and open bites, in which the upper and lower front teeth do not contact at all.
By closing gaps between teeth, alternative CPAP and realigning the jaw, orthodontic treatment can often improve speech in a variety of ways. Even while it appears that this would be a straightforward answer, keep in mind that it takes time. In addition to the pre-braces treatment your orthodontist may advise, such as spacers or palatal expanders, orthodontic treatment can last at least a year while wearing braces.
Rojar Mark is the author of this Article. To know more about sleep apnea in children and alternative CPAP please visit the website.