Healthy Start Dentist New York, NY
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 M.Y. Dental Spa in New York 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 (212) 786-5757 to learn more.
Early Start Dental Care
It is important to seek dental care starting at an early age. HealthyStart offers complete health dentistry that focuses on treating overall health through oral health care. Oral health affects a child's digestive health, immune health, metabolism, and mental health. Nine out of ten children are affected by sleep-related issues as a symptom of poor oral health, which may get resolved using the HealthyStart™ System.
Complete health dentistry is a strategy for preventative health. Research in this area has elevated the importance of adopting good dental habits early in life. Early dental interventions are crucial to catching a range of health issues before they have a chance to get worse. A HealthyStart dentist can correct the growth and alignment of your child's teeth as they come in, proactively avoiding potential oral and general health problems later on.
“Early dental interventions are crucial to catching a range of health issues before they have a chance to get worse.”
Healthy Start Dentists and Sleep
Sleep-disordered breathing is a phenomenon that all too often goes unnoticed. Though often treated as an isolated condition, it is usually a root cause of many other symptoms a child may exhibit. Unfortunately, such symptoms are often misdiagnosed or missed entirely. These conditions result from airway disruption during sleep. When a patient's airway is blocked, their body produces a choking response — leading to a higher heart rate, higher blood pressure, and lower oxygen levels.
Temporomandibular jaw disorders, better known as TMJ, can also affect a child's sleep. These disorders occur when the temporomandibular joint has been damaged or is otherwise malfunctioning. They are also frequently associated with sleep apnea, which is caused by airway disruption. If left untreated, an obstructed airway will only narrow more over time. HealthyStart dentists can help treat these sleeping issues by moving the upper and lower jaws forward. This opens the airway for maximum airflow while also encouraging mid-face growth and airway development.
“HealthyStart dentists can help treat these sleeping issues by moving the upper and lower jaws forward.”
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 can a HealthyStart dentist do for my child's sleep issues?
Q. Why is early dental care critical?
Q. How can orthodontics and orthodontic appliances help?
People Also Ask
Q. Are oral conditions genetic or a result of environmental factors?
Q. What services are offered by a general dentist?
Q. How is the mouth the gateway to the body?
Q. What are some conditions that a complete health dentist can diagnose?
How Parents Can Help
Though nothing can replace the counsel of an experienced HealthyStart sleep dentist, there are many things parents can do to help improve their child's sleeping habits. For starters, a child's sleeping environment should be as comfortable and free from distractions as possible. Avoid screen time or any upsetting material within two hours of bedtime. Beds should be reserved for sleeping. Children should not be allowed to watch television, reading, or playing video games while in bed.
Adding soothing sounds into a child's bedtime routine may also help them relax. If this is too much stimulation, reducing noise may be a better option. Parents should also try to get their children used to the dark since light can further disrupt the sleeping environment. Cooler room temperatures can also aid sleep, as can warm baths. Some people also find that aromatherapy helps.
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 New York area, call 212-786-5757 for an appointment in our New York office.
Helpful Related Links
- American Dental Association (ADA). Glossary of Dental Clinical Terms. 2025
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