In this episode, Dr. Mike and Nicole Goldfarb, an orofacial myofunctional therapist, dive deep into pediatric airway health and sleep-disordered breathing.  This is the first episode in a collaborative series called Airway Conversations which has the goal of spreading awareness and educating providers and parents on the topic of pediatric airway health. 

This episode emphasizes the importance of early detection and treatment of pediatric sleep-disordered breathing, challenges the notion that orthodontics and airway issues are not interconnected, and reviews the stance of both the American Dental Association (ADA) and American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) on the topic.  

Dr. DeLuke and Nicole critique existing dental guidelines and highlight the significance of recognizing symptoms such as crowded teeth, a narrow palate, altered facial growth, myofunctional disorders, behavioral issues, and neurocognitive defects in pediatric patients. 

They also discuss the role that dental professionals can and should play in the detection and treatment of pediatric sleep-disordered breathing, and encourage parents to seek out knowledgeable practitioners who have an understanding of the implications of mouth breathing and snoring.  

Future episodes of the Airway Conversations series will cover related topics such as tooth extraction, orthodontic techniques to expand and develop the arches, and how parents can go about finding airway-aware orthodontists.

·        01:33 Introducing the New Series with Nicole Goldfarb

·        02:15 Discussion on Pediatric Airway Health

·        03:48 ADA Position Statement and AAO White Paper

·        06:35 Challenges in Diagnosing Sleep-Disordered Breathing

·        08:07 Orthodontic and Medical Community Perspectives

·        10:47 Myofunctional Disorders and Airway Issues

·        21:26 Environmental Influences on Craniofacial Growth

·        35:34 Efficacy of Adenotonsillectomy in Pediatric Sleep Apnea

·        37:24 Lack of Awareness Among Pediatricians

·        38:35 The Role of Tongue Tie

·        42:07 Orthodontic Signs of Airway Dysfunction

·        42:24 Facial Indicators of Sleep-Disordered Breathing

·        49:00 Parental Concerns and Next Steps

·        55:37 Orthodontic Training and Airway Awareness

·         01:01:01 Future Topics and Closing Remarks

LINKS:

-Part 1 on Airway Answers Podcast: https://youtu.be/Fz5AE3MVdd4?si=WcpyhTiBauNWB49i

-ADA Position Statement: chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.ada.org/-/media/project/ada-organization/ada/ada-org/files/resources/research/the-role-of-dentistry-in-sleep-related-breathing-disorders.pdf

-AAO White Paper: chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.dentalheadstart.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/sleep-apnea-white-paper-FINAL-2019-1.pdf