Orthodontic treatment is often something we associate with the teen years. However, many of the problems braces are designed to fix, including crowding, narrow jaws, and misaligned bites, often start much earlier because of childhood habits. At Northwest Arkansas Family Dental, we use Myobrace® therapy in Fayetteville, AR, to address those habits before they cause more significant issues in the future.
What Is Myobrace?
Myobrace is a preventive orthodontic system designed for children between the ages of 3 and 15. It involves a series of removable appliances that your child wears for an hour or two during the day and overnight while sleeping. The appliances work alongside breathing and muscle exercises meant to retrain how your child breathes, swallows, and positions their tongue.
What Habits Does Myobrace Address?
Myobrace works on the idea that kids often develop oral habits that affect how their teeth and jaws grow. These include:
- Mouth breathing instead of breathing through the nose
- Incorrect tongue posture, such as resting the tongue on the floor of the mouth rather than the roof
- Thumb or finger sucking
- Incorrect swallowing patterns
Over time, these habits can lead to a narrow upper jaw, crowded teeth, and even facial changes. With Myobrace, we can address the cause of these issues instead of relying on braces to do the job later.
Why Start So Early?
Starting treatment while your child is still developing gives the appliance and exercises a better opportunity to guide natural growth. That said, every child responds differently. Results depend on wearing the appliances consistently and performing the daily exercises.
If your child breathes through their mouth, snores, or shows early signs of crowding, our dentists would be happy to take a look and see if they think Myobrace therapy would be beneficial. Get started by calling Northwest Arkansas Family Dental in Fayetteville, AR, to schedule an appointment.