Healthy Start Dentist Miami, FL
It is hard to know what to do when your child struggles with sleep apnea. The HealthyStart™ System is a device that children wear at night to help them breathe by aligning their upper and lower jaw in a manner that maximizes airflow and supports proper facial development. Sleep dentistry is an approach to help children overcome sleep-disordered breathing and sleep apnea related to oral health and airway development.
Early dental interventions that support healthy sleep habits are available at South Florida Dentistry in Miami and the surrounding area. We guide your family through total health dentistry. Our team offers a range of services, including the HealthyStart System. Call us at (305) 203-4097 to learn more.
Why Healthy Start
HealthyStart is a form of complete health dentistry focused on treating overall health through oral health. Many people are surprised to learn that oral health is linked with other systemic conditions, including sleep apnea. However, an effective sleep dentist must be intimately aware of the oral-systemic link. This is especially true for children, as early intervention is critical in catching many oral and overall health issues before they get the chance to worsen.
Unlike traditional pediatric dentistry, which takes a more aggressive, oppositional approach, the HealthyStart System works with patients' natural tooth eruption patterns. It achieves this via pliable, removable devices that are custom-made for each patient's individual needs and comfort. These devices gently guide the erupting teeth into proper alignment. If necessary, they may also help correct the growth and alignment of the lower jaw by expanding the patient's arches. By making these early corrections, children can avoid certain health problems later on.
“…early intervention is key in catching many oral and overall health issues before they get the chance to worsen.”
Sleep-Related Issues
Dental care providers are often the first to recognize signs of sleep disorders in children. Improper positioning of teeth can cause sleep-disordered breathing because children have smaller, close-together baby teeth and narrower dental arches that may contribute to underdeveloped airways. Sleep-disordered breathing lowers a child's oxygen levels and raises their heart rate and blood pressure
Temporomandibular jaw (TMJ) disorders in children are also associated with sleep apnea. A damaged temporomandibular joint can disrupt airway development, and if left untreated, the airway may narrow over time. HealthyStart can be used to treat pediatric sleep-related dental issues by moving the upper and lower jaws forward, opening the airway to maximize airflow during facial growth and airway development.
“Improper positioning of teeth can cause sleep-disordered breathing.”
Orthodontics and Orthodontic Appliances
Orthodontics, or braces, are commonly reserved for older children to help straighten their teeth. Orthodontic appliances can also help correct dentoskeletal irregularities that contribute to sleep-related issues in young children. The use of orthodontics in this way falls under the term airway dentistry, which describes an approach to oral health focusing on the mouth structure and how it affects your breathing.
The HealthyStart System is a non-invasive and natural alternative to orthodontic appliances used for airway and sleep dentistry. Applied early on, HealthyStart can help children avoid sleep apnea or sleep-disordered breathing. HealthyStart makes custom-made orthodontic devices for young children that gently guide the teeth into place as they grow and support optimal airway development. It is almost half the cost of traditional braces and can relieve the need for orthodontics down the road. A HealthyStart dentist will help promote healthy orofacial development and prevent future health problems.
“The HealthyStart System is a non-invasive and natural alternative to orthodontic appliances used for airway dentistry.”
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Childhood Development and Sleep
Sleep is arguably the most essential part of everyday life, especially during the stages of early development. There are two sleep stages: Non-Rapid Eye Movement (NREM) and Rapid Eye Movement (REM). NREM is sometimes called "quiet" sleep. Deep states of NREM sleep increases blood supply to the muscles, restores energy, and releases essential hormones for growth and development. Tissue growth and repair also occur during this state. REM sleep, also known as "active" sleep, is the dreaming stage of sleep. The brain becomes active, and the body becomes immobile, with irregular breathing and heart rates.
A healthy sleeping schedule is imperative to ensure proper physical, mental, and emotional development. It can be difficult or even impossible for children with disordered sleep to get enough sleep. At least one study has found that six-year-old children with a pattern of short sleep duration at age 2.5 had higher levels of specific cognitive deficits and hyperactivity in comparison to their peers. Though research in this field is still emerging, the existing literature makes it evident that there is a relationship between sleep and childhood development.
Questions Answered on This Page
Q. What is HealthyStart dentistry?
Q. How does dental health impact sleep issues in children?
Q. How can orthodontics and orthodontic appliances help?
People Also Ask
Q. What are some conditions that a complete health dentist can diagnose?
Q. Are oral conditions genetic or a result of environmental factors?
Q. Beyond regular checkups, what additional procedures might a dentist recommend?
What Parents Can Do at Home
If a child is struggling to sleep, parents can do a few things at home. Free the child's sleeping environment from any distractions and make it extra comfy. Ideally, children should avoid screen time within two hours of bedtime. Stimulating activities such as watching TV, reading, or playing video games should be off-limits once a child gets tucked in. Sleeping in a dark room with cooler temperatures can also promote sleep. Parents worried about their child's sleep should further discuss their concerns with a total health dentist. Orthodontics or systems like HealthyStart can help a child breathe at night by supporting healthy airway development and maximizing airflow.
“Free your child’s sleeping environment from any distractions and make it extra comfy.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What is sleep dentistry?
A. Sleep dentistry is an approach to resolving sleep-related problems through oral health approaches. Sleep dentistry often employs oral appliances or CPAP machines to correct disordered breathing during sleep. A complete health dentist will focus on the mouth structure and how it impacts breathing.
Q. How can oral health correct sleep apnea?
A. Children have narrower dental arches and smaller teeth that are closer together. That can restrict the development of your child's airways. By guiding the positioning and growth of your child's teeth as they come in and encouraging the forward alignment of their upper and lower jaws, you can maximize airflow and support airway development. Systems like HealthyStart support approaches to airway dentistry to help children correct sleep-disordered breathing.
Q. How does sleep affect my child?
A. Sleep is essential to help children grow and develop. Lack of sleep impairs children physically, mentally and emotionally. Studies show that children with severe sleep apnea, for example, have been associated with lower intelligence and testing scores and report deficits related to attention, memory, and language.
Q. How can I help my child get better sleep?
A. At home, parents should create a comfortable, cool, distraction-free sleeping environment for their children. Avoid screen time and other stimulating activities close to bedtime. Monitor your child's sleeping patterns and discuss your concerns with a total health dentist. Early intervention not only helps reduce your child's risk of needing braces in the future but can help gently straighten and position your child's teeth as they grow to support airway capacity.
Q. How do I find a sleep dentist for my child?
A. Besides recommendations from friends and family members, your child's pediatrician is a good source for recommendations. Doing an internet search of sleep dentists in your area is also a great place to start. You can often find several online reviews for a practitioner before making an appointment.
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Dental Terminology
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If you live in the Miami area, call 305-203-4097 for an appointment in our Miami office.
Helpful Related Links
- American Dental Association (ADA). Glossary of Dental Clinical Terms. 2025
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