Istanbul Gelisim University - Early treatment of maxillary stenosis improves sleep quality in children

Early treatment of maxillary stenosis improves sleep quality in children

Stating that upper jaw stenosis is an oral and dental health problem that should be treated especially in childhood, Orthodontist Specialist Asst. Prof. Muhammet Birlik said that the ideal treatment age is around 7-8. Birlik said, "If it is detected and treated early, nasal breathing and sleep quality will increase, and it will benefit many ailments such as hearing loss."

Mentioning that two factors play a role in maxillary stenosis, Orthodontist from Istanbul Gelisim University Faculty of Dentistry Asst. Prof. Muhammet Birlik said, “They are genetic structure and mouth breathing. In particular, mouth breathing due to large tonsils, curved nasal bones, adenoids, swollen mucous membranes due to reasons such as allergies and sometimes bad habits such as thumb sucking causes a narrow upper jaw and a long face, which causes breathing through the mouth rather than the nose.”

Giving information about how to understand the narrowness of the upper jaw, Birlik said:

“When we look at the mouths of children, single or double-sided cross bite in the teeth, a deep palate, protruding upper incisors can give us an idea about this. However, these findings are often overlooked by parents. Apart from the mouth, purple eyes, a long face and a tired facial expression can be indications. Although there are symptoms, the easiest finding that parents can detect is crowding in the teeth. The narrower the jaw, the more crowding will be seen in the permanent teeth.”

IDEAL TREATMENT AGE IS 7-8

Emphasizing that the ideal treatment time for maxillary stenosis is around 7-8 years of age, Birlik said, “While children diagnosed at an early age can be treated with removable expansion appliances, fixed orthodontic appliances are used after 12-13 years of age. If this period is missed, surgical-assisted jaw expansion is generally preferred after the age of 16.”
Explaining the benefits of maxillary enlargement, Birlik said, “As a narrow maxilla prevents the lower jaw from growing ideally, it causes the lower jaw to lag behind. If detected and treated early, the lower jaw continues to grow normally. The depth of the palate and the protrusion of the incisors decrease, cause the crowding to decrease spontaneously, because it causes the airway to expand, intranasal volume and therefore nasal breathing increase. With the return to normal and natural nasal breathing, the quality of sleep increases, as well as the blood oxygen level, and it is beneficial for many ailments such as hearing loss.”