Healthy Start Systems

This revolutionary, non-invasive approach to better breathing in children is a natural way of using oral appliances just a few hours a day to help keep your child’s mouth, jaw, and airway in their optimal positions for smooth breathing during sleep and wake hours. The oral appliances train your child to breathe through the nose, rather than their mouth, by opening airways and allowing air to flow freely. When someone has sleep apnea, the tissue in the airway becomes so relaxed that it collapses, causing an obstruction that prevents air from flowing normally during slumber.

By providing early orthodontic treatment for breathing disorders in children, we help pave the way to reducing breathing issues later in life. Restful sleep will help your child’s school performance and should help minimize behavioral issues. Children’s dental development can also be improved with the HealthyStart® System, and many issues may be prevented with early intervention in breathing problems.

Dr. Suneet S. Bath has focused his practice on a few specific areas, and Obstructive Sleep Apnea treatment is one such area. He and his team have undergone extensive training and education on sleep apnea, and by using the most advanced dental technology available today, we deliver unparalleled dental care to residents in and around Olympia, Washington, regardless of age. We welcome all patients, whether you’re eight or 80. If your child is not getting the recommended amount of sleep regularly due to a breathing issue, please contact Impressions Dentistry today.

Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) refers to breathing difficulties during sleep. It is also a root cause for many other symptoms that children frequently exhibit, many of which go undiagnosed and untreated.

Many sleeping issues stem from airway disruption during sleep. As a child’s breathing is restricted, their body reacts like they’re choking; this results in lower oxygen levels, a more rapid heart rate, and higher blood pressure.

Improper positioning of the teeth can also cause SDB symptoms; baby teeth that are too close can indicate your child’s dental arches are too narrow. Adult teeth are bigger and wider than baby teeth, and if there isn’t enough room for the adult teeth to grow in, the teeth begin to protrude or crowd together. Dental arches that are too narrow lead to unhealthy airway development; the lack of room hinders facial growth and compromises the airway.

Early intervention is vital to treating your child’s breathing disorder before it progresses to a dangerous point.

Sleep-disordered breathing in children can cause cognitive, behavioral, and emotional problems if left untreated. Early intervention is crucial when it comes to SDBs in children, so we offer the amazing HealthyStart® System at Impressions Dentistry. Untreated, your child’s sleep apnea could contribute to:

When a child’s airway is narrow, underdeveloped, or constricted, they will struggle to get enough oxygen at night and may have to breathe through the mouth to get the air they need.

The HealthyStart® System opens your child’s airway by bringing the upper and lower jaws forward, allowing for maximum airflow and aiding in improving sleep disorder-related breathing symptoms. The width of the child’s airway gets narrower over time if sleep apnea is not treated, making it increasingly challenging for them to breathe. The HealthyStart® System opens the airway and improves airway width; at the same time, it promotes nasal breathing. This all contributes to a better night’s sleep for your little angel (and more sleep for the rest of the family!).

The HealthyStart® System is a non-invasive, non-pharmaceutical, pain-free approach to opening the airway and straightening teeth without traditional braces. HealthyStart® has been used by over four million children worldwide.

The HealthyStart® System consists of a series of appliances that address symptoms of sleep-disordered breathing, which 9 out of 10 children are affected by. HealthyStart® addresses these symptoms early in life so they can be resolved in a natural, non-invasive manner. We are thrilled to offer these oral appliances in our Olympia dental practice.

Better sleep for your child is a great benefit of the HealthyStart® System, but there are others:

• It often prevents (or minimizes) the need for braces.
• It corrects the problems associated with sleep-disordered breathing, which affects every nine out of ten children.
• It works faster than braces.
• Most HealthyStart® System users will never need braces later in life.
• If orthodontic treatment is postponed in the child’s life, the supportive fibers around the teeth are much harder to move; early
• intervention prevents teeth from moving out of their optimal positions.
• It does not damage the TMJs (Temporomandibular Joints).
• Oral appliances are easy to maintain.
• The treatment is less expensive than other treatments.