Straighten Teeth with Myobrace® & Healthy Start® —
Orthodontics Without Braces
At Lawson Family Dentistry we understand your child’s dental and overall health is extremely important to you.
Nearly 3 out of 4 children experience alignment issues as their teeth and jawbones develop, leading to the need for orthodontic correction through the use of braces.
Fortunately, such issues can become apparent early on, allowing Dr. Lawson to prescribe myofunctional orthodontic treatments such as Myobrace® or HealthyStart®, two myofunctional oral appliances. These appliances help improve your child’s oral growth and development.
Unlike traditional orthodontic treatment, Myobrace and HealthyStart employ new early orthodontic treatment.
This helps address the common underlying issues that lead to malocclusion (the misalignment of teeth and/or jawbones) using removable appliances rather than braces. Myobrace® reduces the need for extensive orthodontics in the future. With a focus on correcting myofunctional issues, the treatment can also help maintain an open airway for better sleep and help reduce the risks of obstructive sleep apnea for your child!
Every detail matters. If you have questions, we’ll help you find clarity.
How Do You Know If Your Child Needs Myofunctional Orthodontic Therapy?
When a person or child has disorders of the muscles and functions of the face and mouth, this is called Orofacial Myofunctional Disorder (OMD). The majority of OMDs originate from poor habitual nasal breathing or with mouth breathing during development. There are a wide variety of dental and health problems that can arise from OMDs, including abnormal or misaligned bites (malocclusion), speech problems, and sleep disordered breathing or even obstructive sleep apnea. Furthermore, sleep disordered breathing has shown that children can suffer from a wide range of debilitating health disorders such as:
We achieve that by using white inlays or onlays that provide a seamless look while reinforcing the chewing surface and cusps of a tooth. With these types of restorations, the structure of the original tooth crown is preserved, resulting in a tooth that’s stronger, more resistant to decay, and better at helping you avoid further dental work like root canals.
Some signs include:
- ADD/ADHD
- Lower IQ
- Chronic Allergies
- Aggressive Behavior
- Mouth Breathing
- Swollen Adenoids & Tonsils
- Daytime Drowsiness
- Crooked Teeth
- Restless Sleep
- Bedwetting
- Nightmares
- Dark Circles Under the Eyes
- Snoring
- Irritability
- Frequent Headaches
- Arrested Growth
- Low Grades in Math, Science, & Spelling
Myobrace Benefits
- Straighter teeth
- Correct alignment of the teeth and jaws
- Minimal or no use of braces
- No need for extraction of healthy teeth
- Reduced need for fixed retainers
- Improved facial development
- Improved overall health
- Develop to genetic potential
HealthyStart Benefits
- Promote proper growth and development of the jaw and airway to optimize airflow
- Promote proper nasal breathing
- Straighten teeth
- Address the root cause of Sleep Disordered Breathing (SBD)
- Reduce disorders of health, development and behavior
Schedule an appointment today with Dr. Lawson to see if Myobrace or HealthyStart is right for your child.
Why choose Dr. Jessica Lawson for your child’s dental health?
Dr. Lawson has been working with myofunctional oral appliances such as Myobrace and HealthyStart for many years. Not only does she love working with children, she has firsthand experience with these myofunctional oral appliances with her own children.
Dr. Lawson’s experience with Myobrace®
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Myofunctional disorder? How do I know I (or my child) have/has it?
This is when the muscles are not functioning correctly. Usually there is a tongue thrust or a rest habit, a chin or lip tuck or other muscle dysfunction that has arisen from bottle, pacifier or digit (thumb) sucking. In some cases, it may be caused by tongue or cheek sucking.
How long does Myobrace take to work?
If the child is compliant, and they were at the designated amount of time, we can see big changes in the first month or two. Usually a myobrace case is 1-2 years, and then they wear the last appliance as a retainer.
Is Myobrace effective for adults?
Only if they are looking to correct tongue posturing, airway or poor quality of sleep. Once a child gets past 12 years of age, 90% of growth is complete and it becomes difficult to move bone or teeth without brackets and wires.
What is Healthystart®?
Early interceptive orthodontics designed to help correct jaw alignment, malocclusions and sleep disordered breathing before they worsen.
What is the difference between Healthystart and Myobrace?
Honestly, not much. Some of the Healthystart appliances are larger, so we can adjust them for improved comfort. Myobrace really believes in the myofunctional activities (muscle movement), whereas Healthystart has more emphasis on tongue posturing only and guided eruption for alignment. From what we have seen professionally, the results are very similar with a compliant patient.
How young can my child start Healthystart?
As early as a parent wants or the child can be compliant. We have seen two and three-year-olds have great success because they insert the Myobrace or Healthystart appliance in place of a pacifier or other foreign object. I would say I have seen the most success with five and six-year-olds who are getting ready to enter kindergarten.
Recapture the magic in your smile.
A full smile opens the door to a fuller life.
