Breathing and Orthodontics: Not doing one gets you the other

Recently I attended the North American Association of Facial Orthotropics ( NAAFO) meeting in Chicago, IL. Though a meeting of fellow “BlocHeads”, those practitioners using the Bio-Bloc® technique, this meeting featured a multi-discipline lineup of presenters; dentists, orthodontists, neuro-surgeons, ENT specialists, pediatricians, and others.

The focus was airways. Though seemingly boring, it’s actually pretty important. Though it seems obvious, you need to breathe, what’s not obvious is the quality of the airway space.
Humans were designed to be nasal breathers, using their diaphragms to move the air. However, a large number don’t. Many can’t breathe through their noses easily, despite what they say, and others don’t breathe properly for proper gas exchange in the lungs. This is where a lot of problems start.
Carbon dioxide levels in the lung will trigger chemical receptors in the lung which then go to the brainstem which sends out signals to make you breathe. So, carbon dioxide levels, not oxygen levels, are the primary trigger in breathing. There is a lot of chemistry surrounding this, but if you maintain too high a level you will develop a condition called respiratory acidosis, which can become metabolic acidosis as well. Basically, your lungs become too acid (low pH), and eventually your body as well. The common blood screening to measure CRP levels can show this. Usually you are told that you have inflammation when CRP (c-reactive protein) levels are elevated. Inflammation in a neutral pH (around 7.1) environment is difficult to maintain, BUT, in a lower pH (acidic) environment inflammation it is far more frequent. Your enzyme systems are also very pH sensitive, so a slight shift in either direction, acid or alkaline (higher pH), and you have diminished enzyme function (affects things like heart, liver, kidney,etc.). I am not saying that all inflammation problems are associated with increased carbon dioxide levels, but I heard from a few physicians who presented arguments that it is far more prevalent than their profession believes.

As a dentist we deal with people with issues such as obstructive sleep apnea. Due to compromised airways, a lot of these people do not sleep well. What we find is that most of these people have other medical issues, which could be considered a consequence of the sleep apnea. In adults, the treatment options are limited. The gold standard to date is a CPAP machine, but almost half of all patients can’t tolerate them, so dentists are able to make an oral appliance that moves the jaw forward. Since the tongue is attached to the lower jaw, it comes forward as well, and that opens the airway. Orthodontic enlargement of the shape of the jaws can also improve the airway. Surgical advancement of the upper and lower jaws in almost all cases eliminates sleep apnea, but the surgery rarely is covered by insurance plans.

At the NAAFO meeting an emphasis was placed on ways to make corrections in children, utilizing growth, to guide the proper development of the face. In children, by using orthodontic appliances you can get the effect of the adult surgical techniques without the surgery. The result is a better looking face and a significantly better airway. More information can be found at www.biobloc.org, or contact us at 703 820-0809.

I am currently writing a series of articles for a local newspaper, some of which will be about the relationship between breathing and orthodontics. They will be found here after publication. There will be more pictures and diagrams in the articles.

For more information about the Orthotropic philosophy of treatment contact us or go to www.Orthotropics.com . This site is the most followed dental site on the internet.


Dentist Alexandria VA
Bradlee Dental Care  
3690 King Street, Suite KL
Alexandria, VA 22302
(703) 820-0809